- Retired teacher with 29 years teaching experience in the Oelwein Community School District, 43 years total teaching experience
- Has a clear understanding of how the school system works
- Earned a BA in Elementary Education, MA in Gifted and Talented and earned 60 hours toward a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. Instead of completing a dissertation, wrote grants for the Oelwein schools, a decision that continues, even now, to provide funding for the school district.
- Classroom experience in K, 1, 2, 5, 6 and talented and gifted teaching K-9, owned and operated a private preschool.
- Worked with three superintendents in school improvement including curriculum, staff development, technology, student services, school-to-work, and other education innovations
- Worked to implement school board goals
- Worked to fund school improvement through grant awards in technology, curriculum, learning styles, kindergarten and early childhood, school-to-work, school based youth services and family resource centers
- Managed grant budgets
- Read and evaluated Annual Progress Reports for the Department of Education, served as a member of two accreditation teams for the Department of Education, taught an education class for Upper Iowa University in the integration of technology into instruction, volunteered for the RSVP program, and attended as many school board meetings as possible.