What is your current position?
I currently serve as the Executive Assistant to the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. I have been in this role since July 1, 2013. In this role, I provide comprehensive administrative support to the Department Chair.
When did you start working in SMPH? At UW?
I started working for the school on July 1, 2008. My first role was as a Medical Program Assistant at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. After two years at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, I took a position in the UW SMPH Department of Pediatrics as a Medical Program Assistant. In 2012, I took a position in the UW SMPH Department of Obstetrics in Gynecology. I was a Medical Program Assistant in the Division of Benign Gynecology until July 2013 when I then took on my current role as Executive Assistant to the Chair. I have been in my current role for just a little over 10 years.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Every day is a little different depending upon what projects I am working on. I do start each day reading and replying to emails. I always have meetings to schedule or reschedule and those are my first priority. Once I am caught up on my meeting scheduling, I work on my other outstanding projects.
What is your workplace superpower?
I would say organization and planning are my superpowers. I am a very organized person, which helps a lot in my position. I always have multiple outstanding meetings and projects going on at the same time. Organization is crucial to keep things running smoothly. I am always looking ahead and making a plan. I am also very resourceful. I have been with the UW SMPH for 15 years, and I have gained lots of resources over the years.
What is something personal you keep on your desk? (feel free to share a photo if you’d like!)
In the office, I have an old birthday card that I was given by my former Chair. Every time I look at it, I just smile. When I am at home, it is what is under the desk that makes me smile. It is one of my furbabies, Luna. She is one of my favorite co-workers!
Where are you from originally?
I was born and raised in Madison. I currently live in McFarland with my partner Chris and our two furbabies, Lio and Luna.
What is your favorite place to spend time in Madison? In the world?
I spent a lot of time at the local parks in Madison since I grew up here. Most summers were spent swimming at Warner Park Beach and in the winters months it was ice skating at Tenney Park or sledding at Sanatorium Hill. (Fun fact, my grandfather used to run the Tenney Lock & Dam back in the day.) I still enjoy spending time at the local parks in Madison when the weather is nice. Most Saturday mornings you can find me at the Dane County Farmer’s Market. I also enjoy just strolling down State Street and walking the Lower Yahara River Trail.
I am not a world traveler by any means, but I did get the opportunity to travel to Cancun, Mexico in 2019. It was such a beautiful place!
What are you reading right now?
I am currently reading Fairy Tales by Stephen King.
Share one fact about yourself that you co-workers might not be aware of.
I am an avid vegetable gardener. I use the vegetables I grow in my garden to make spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, and salsa that I can. (Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container.) Nothing beats homemade!