My father worked for Western Electric, which means I moved a lot as a child. I was primarily raised in Prairie Village, KS. In high school, my father was promoted and we moved east. I went to college, worked, married and had my children in the Northeast, longing for the day I could move west. We did, the day I retired!! Today, my husband Hank and I are proud ten-year residents of Bastrop County, living in an unincorporated area. Both of my children live overseas. My son also works in the IT field. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law live in the City of Bastrop.
Professionally, I have been in the Information Technology field for 50 years. I joined IBM out of college and spent 11 years as a Marketing Representative. I formed a small consulting firm to “keep my fingers in the IT pot” while raising my children. In 1993, I joined the IT Department at the County of Morris NJ. Self-taught in web design, I wrote many of Morris County’s first websites and its intranet. Upon transfer to the Office of Public Information, I served as the Digital & Social Media Manager until my retirement at the end of 2014. I was a founding board member and treasurer for the National Association of Gov’t Web Professionals. In retirement, I have been a featured presenter internationally on the use of Social Media during disasters.
Politically, I served ten years in elected office: six years as a Councilwoman and four years as Mayor of Denville Township, NJ. I spent eight years on the Planning Board and was a member of a variety of other Township boards and commissions. My volunteer work is extensive, serving as treasurer for several 501(c)(3) nonprofits including BastropCAN which brought the first two charter schools to Bastrop County.
This combination of experiences gives me a deep understanding of the internal workings of government and the political world. I have a relatively unique perspective for my commentaries about a variety of topics affecting the City of Bastrop and other levels of government.
Political Involvement
For more than thirty-five years, I’ve been involved in the Republican Party.
- Bastrop County GOP Club: President
- Lost Pines Republican Women: Past President and founding Board member
- Texas Federation of Republican Women: 2023 “10 Outstanding” Award recipient
- Elected Republican precinct chair: 12 years, 2002-04, 2006-14
- Bastrop County Republican precinct chair: 2018-2022
- Former elected Republican mayor & councilwoman: 10 years in office
- National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW): Former Technology Chair
- NFRW-affiliated local club president and past state treasurer, state vice-president
- Republican National Committee Sustaining Member: 45 years
- TexasGOP: Grassroots Club member
Professional Experience
Most recently, I was a Digital & Social Media Consultant, specializing in the use of social media during disasters. I presented to public safety communicators and emergency management professionals internationally, across the US, and here in Texas.
My IT career spans 50+ years, including:
- IBM Marketing Representative
- Web Manager and Digital & Social Media Manager: responsible for all websites, intranet & social media for a large metropolitan county
- Founding board member and treasurer of the National Association of Government Web Professionals
- Subject of a Hootsuite Whitepaper for development of MCUrgent
(Morris County Urgent) - Recognized by the National Association of State CIOs for my Innovative, Cross-jurisdictional Collaborative Project, MCUrgent
- Recognized in Who’s Who of American Women
- 2018 Winner of the Steven Michael Moore Pinnacle Award