In what city do you live?

Eden Prairie

How long have you lived in the watershed district?

I moved to Eden Prairie in August 2010

Why were you interested in becoming a manager? 

I have been retired for three years now and I miss the connections and work associated with reviewing and developing programs that help improve our water resources within the community and District. I am proud of our watershed district and hope to provide assistance as we move forward with our current planning process.

What is your background?

I started out in pre-med, but changed majors after working as a research assistant collecting and categorizing clams in the Chippewa River in Eau Claire! I loved this job, even though it was hard work and once I was almost stranded on a small island in the middle of the river when the power company released water from the dam. But I kept going! After that summer, I decided I loved being outdoors and felt I could make a difference in this field. I went on to get a master's degree in environmental and public health with a focus in water resources and limnology. My career started with two years with the Wisconsin DNR working in the Chippewa Moraine collecting and analyzing data on local lakes and creeks.  After my master's program was completed, I moved to the Twin Cities where I worked for 6 years with a private consulting firm before landing at the City of Eden Prairie for 25-1/2 years. During my time with the City, I worked on a variety of projects including lake water quality, wetland permitting, environmental reviews of proposed developments, groundwater management, water conservation issues, conservation easement protection, and environmental education.

What is your favorite outdoor spot in the District?

My favorite outdoor sport would be walking around the lakes, usually Staring or Round Lake depending on how far I want to walk. I have also had opportunities to boat on Mitchell and Red Rock Lakes, which are beautiful lakes for canoeing and pontooning.

What is your favorite outdoor activity? 

I love to walk, so finding spots to walk and destress are my go-to.

What District work are you most proud of? 

I am most proud of the development of creek protection programs that look at restoring and improving habitat along these important corridors. This work can be very complex and difficult but is important not only to the creeks but also the lakes that they flow through.

In addition to protecting/enhancing water resources, what are you most passionate about? 

I am very passionate about documenting my family history as well as my travels through digital scrapbooking.  I have done a number of digital scrapbooks that I have shared with my family as well as personal travel books. Now that I am retired, I try to dedicate more time to traveling and exploring. I also love babysitting my grand-cat Freya when my daughter and son-in-law go on their travels (my online storage now has 110 photos of just Freya, and she has only been with us for 4 years!).