Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I was born and raised in Marshfield. My husband and I have been married 45 years, have a son and daughter, and 3 amazing grandsons. We lived in Columbus, WI before moving to Greendale.

Q: Please tell us about your current career. What do you love most about what you do?
I’ve worked with seniors throughout my career, as a social worker, nursing home administrator and in regional operations for senior living organizations throughout WI, MN, IL and MI. After years of traveling, it has been wonderful to call Greendale and Harbour Village “home”. I’m the Executive Director of Harbour Village and have been there for 6 years. Harbour Village is a senior living campus offering independent living, assisted living and memory care to over 230 residents and employment opportunities to over 120 staff. What do I love? I love building teams and watching my co-workers grow professionally and personally as we care for our residents and our staff. And especially, I love our residents. It takes a village to care for each other… and we are a village!

Q: Please tell us about any volunteering that you have done or currently do.
For the past 20 years I have helped with the teen confirmation at Hephatha Lutheran church on 18th & Locust in Milwaukee. Serving in this way and place for so many years has helped me become sensitive to the needs of young people. I also serve as the president of the Greendale Chamber of Commerce and am on the SAGE (Successful Aging in Greendale for Everyone) committee.

Q: Please tell us about any interesting or unique hobbies that you have?
When I was younger I kayaked on rivers with small rapids and could do an Eskimo roll with ease. These days I prefer kayaking alone on quiet rivers. I scuba dive, although the one night dive I did was disastrous!

Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in Greendale? What do you love there?
I love eating Ricardo’s pizza anytime. I also enjoy sitting outisde by the water fountain with my husband and 6-year-old grandson Samir on Saturday mornings drinking Broadstreet Coffee Shop coffee and eating donuts from National Bakery. Our very own Harbour Village dining is fabulous. Almost everything our kitchen makes is ‘my favorite’, our Friday nite fish fry, home-made French onion soup, signature cookies… all of our meals are made with love.

Q: How long have you lived or worked in Greendale?
I’ve been part of the Greendale community for 6 years. My first year here as the new Director of Harbour Village, I actually stayed in an apartment on our Harbour Village campus until my husband and I bought a condo in Overlook Lakes. We love Greendale. In fact, I first heard about Greendale from an older couple who came to a Parkinson Conference in Pewaukee years ago. I never forgot how much they loved Greendale. At the time, I would never have guessed this is where I would end up living. They made a big impression on me and here we are!

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
One of my dreams is to travel to Switzerland. My paternal grandparents traveled on ships to the US when they were teens. My grandfather, who had a stoic Swiss disposition, would occasionally yodel for us like he did when he lived in the Swiss Alps as a child.

Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
The Netflix series Grace and Frankie (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) is one of my favorites, especially the episode where their children talk them into living in a retirement community and they escape on a golf cart and return to their home on the beach. I couldn’t stop laughing!

Q: What advice would you give to people?
‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ There is a Norman Rockwell painting titled Golden Rule which he painted in 1960. Stop in the Greendale Public Library and you will find a poster of the painting framed and hanging on the wall, inspiring us all to care for each other.

Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Someday I would love to take a train across America. My mother was born in Canada and I’d like to experience the beauty of the Canadian Rockies on the return trip.

Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
My go-to musician is anything Bach, my go-to symphony is ‘Appalachian Spring Suite’ by Aaron Copeland and my happy go-to song is ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams.

Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about Greendale?
I’ve ridden along on a few Greendale Historic & Folk Art Chimney Tours and am always amazed at the history and stories about Greendale beginning with its inception as a planned community in the 1930’s until today. The chimney folk art tells unique stories about our Greendale families.

Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would you meet for this lunch?
I’d invite the writer Anne Lamott, author of “Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith”, to a picnic along the Root River Parkway. She’s inspiring and her life experiences are so real. She writes in her book, “Travleing Mercies: love the journey, God is with you, come home safe and sound.”

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
I hope to be healthy, active, engaged and making a difference in a retired kind of way!

Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Most people that know me know that I’m quite competitive, but most people don’t know that I was the first student in my high school to qualify to go to State in swimming.

Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Every Hawaiian island is so unique but the most beautiful was taking a catamaran cruise on the Napoli coast of Kauai, whale watching, and taking in the sunset. It is magical.

Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
I love the anticipation of the summer solstice on June 21st, the hot days of July and Thanksgiving dinner.

Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Every sunrise, every sunset and every breath we take.

Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Every day I am entrusted with the lives of our Harbour Village seniors and of our staff. That’s a very big responsibility which daily inspires me to do and be my best.

Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
The smell of a campfire while sitting roasting marshmallows and early morning coffee boiling over a campfire in the woods.

Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Family, memories, heart.