Though I was born and raised in rural Oregon, my parents moved our family to rural Nebraska, where we lived next to a fourth-generation Nebraska farm surrounded by corn and soybean fields.
Growing up spending my time outside, exploring nature, I developed a connection to and appreciation for our natural environment and all that it does for us. Rural Americans are vital to the health and diversity of our state and our country, and they are also the keepers of important generational knowledge and traditions.
I’ve spent 15 years in the culinary, food service, and hospitality industry, and five years in senior living and memory care. I’ve also worked as a sustainability specialist for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), as well as a human dimensions of natural resources researcher for UNL.
Being at the Center gives me the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded people to help provide solutions for rural Nebraskans, to increase the sustainability of the family farm, and to uplift people and ideas that benefit the marginalized.
I enjoy spending time with friends and family in nature, paddleboarding, hiking, foraging, and I also volunteer in my community.
