More about me

Following my 1984 graduation from Herndon USD 317, I attended Marymount College in Salina for 3 yrs.  I moved to Germany as an "Army wife" for almost a year and returned to the US and moved to Texas.  I finished my BSN at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio while my former husband was stationed at Fort Sam Houston. My eldest son was born in Texas.

Shortly after his birth we returned to Kansas, living in Wichita for 10 years where my second son was born. There I worked in the neonatal intensive care unit at Wesley Medical Center and later with the pediatric cardiologists at the Wichita Clinic. I applied and was accepted for a nurse anesthesia program at Newman University. After completing my MSNA (Masters of Science in Nurse Anesthesia), I moved to Topeka for a position at a local health care facility. After years of working, I was accepted in and completed my doctoral program, attaining my DNAP (Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Practice) at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

It was during my doctoral program that I took a class in adult education, and also in the policy and politics of health care. I had never had a notable interest in politics, but through that class, I had the introduction.

I've been to Washington DC twice and to several national conferences for our profession. I have attended hearings and meetings with Kansas legislators as well as attending meetings with some regional health care providers.

I have always been involved in my Christian faith practices and have been an active participant in church activities from childhood through adulthood.  I have attended Topeka Bible Church for the 20 years I have lived in the Topeka area.

I have been married to my husband Greg for 16 years and have all three adult children (2 sons and a step daughter) and 3 grandchildren living within 45 minutes of my home. My two sons graduated from Shawnee Heights and I have a grandchild in the school district.