My husband, Bill, and I live here in Lexington and have a 24 year old daughter, Courtney. We also have a 9 year old Chocolate Lab, Sammi, who thinks she is 2 and keeps us on our toes. I am originally from Lexington, but was transplanted to Charlotte in 1981 thanks to IBM. I returned to Lexington after my freshman year of college in 1989 to spend the summer with my grandmother. I fell in love with Lexington and didn’t return to North Carolina, and decided to establish my residency before continuing my education. During that year, I became a mom and had to put my college off for a while.
I started at UK as a temporary employee at Lexington Community College in the summer of 1991. After a few weeks as a temporary employee, I was offered a full-time position at LCC in the Admission’s Office. Thanks to the Employee Education Program, I was able to complete my Associate’s Degree in 1994. With the exception of a two-year break in 1997-1998, my career has been here at UK. During my tenure, I have held various positions in multiple departments, including the College of Dentistry, the President’s Office, the Vice President’s Office of Information Technology, the Graduate School, the College of Engineering and now the College of Arts and Sciences.
Over the years, I have continued to work on completing my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. However, it seemed each time I started taking classes life would always throw a curve ball causing me to stop my coursework. Finally, after 15 years of stops and starts, I was able to complete my degree in August of this year. I am taking this year off from classes and am focusing on rejuvenating my energies before applying for a Master’s program.
1. Have you ever had a brush with fame? Yes. Back in 2005, my husband and I were in London and they were having their London Critics Circle Film Awards. We were standing about 100 feet away from the Red Carpet where they were interviewing stars who were nominated…Leonardo DiCaprio Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, and Johnny Depp.
2. What do you do in your spare time? I love to bake, though I don’t do it near as much as I used to. During the winter months, I love working jigsaw puzzles. I usually complete at least five 1,000-piece puzzles every winter. I also stay busy with family, friends, church, and UK athletics events (football and ladies basketball).
3. What is your favorite movie or book? The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. It’s a favorite that my daughter and I share together. We watch the movie together each time it’s televised.
4. What is the most interesting/your favorite place you've been? The most interesting place is Bermuda…it’s a quaint little island with lots of culture. However, my favorite place to go is New York City just before Christmas. It’s a family tradition that my husband, daughter and I do every 3-4 years. There’s just something about NYC at Christmas that fills you with the holiday spirit.
5. What is your favorite food? Lasagna, it’s been my favorite food since I was a small child. When I go to a new restaurant that has it on their menu, I have to try it to see how it stacks up to my favorite one...which is Rafferty’s.