Organization:

Honeywell Arts & Entertainment, Director of Food & Beverage/Event Sales

Other than improving your Zoom meeting skills, what have you learned (or learned to excel in professionally) since March of 2020?

I am making it a point to nurture the relationships that I have, be a better listener and that makes me a better overall sales person as well.  Sales in the hospitality world has changed since COVID, we have to come to our clients and friends on their levels.  Everyone has been going through a tough time and so to show grace, have empathy and place yourself in another’s shoes have been keys to winning in the current environment.  If we can work to perfect these skills, the sales will naturally come when it is meant to be. 

Who are you outside of work?

I am a mother to 3 boys and I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Miles for the past 20 years.  You can find me dancing, signing, acting in the “play of my life” as I find myself in constant shenanigans daily which keeps life humorous and fun.  You may not want to be a “fly on my wall” as I am certain you would be hunted and killed with our families favorite gadget we acquired in 2020- the “Bug-A-Salt” shotgun which harmlessly takes grains of salt to kill those pesky flies, mosquitoes and other creepy crawly things around the home.  What can I say, living in a home with 4 boys I have perfected my skill of target shooting and weaponry all around!  Our family loves to be outdoors, camping at our family farm, on the shores of Lake Michigan or just chilling on our deck with our family cooking out on our Kamado Joe Grill that we love.  Life is very short and you will find us attempting to live each day to the max!  I am watching the news less, doing social media less and trying to live in the moment more which I think has also attributed to the 70 pound weight loss I have achieved this past year!

Name a silver lining in your own work experience since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Personally and professionally (COVID combined both of those areas for me), COVID 19 and that year of working from home made me realize how much I missed our family back in my hometown of Wabash.  My mother retired at the first of this year and my husband’s parents both got COVID and were lucky to survive it.  Our family made the decision back in May of this year that we wanted to move home to be closer to our parents and support each other more in our lives.  I do believe that the good Lord above was looking out for me as things began to fall into place in my life with my career.  The Honeywell opportunity came along and I couldn’t pass it up.  The Grand Wayne Center has been an amazing journey for me these last 9 years and I wouldn’t be the person I am today with the guidance, leadership and life lessons I have learned while working here at GWCC.  I will miss the people in my Fort Wayne network the most but COVID and my MPI Volunteerism has taught me that we are all connected no matter where we are and our friendships and relationships will continue on even if we don’t see each other every day.  It will be very bittersweet to say goodbye to GWCC as my last day is Friday, August 13th but I am so thrilled and excited to continue on in my career in the Hospitality industry and begin with Honeywell Arts and Entertainment on Monday, August 23rd.  To learn more about Honeywell, please visit here.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment to date?

It has been about 10 years ago but when I attained my MBA with a Concentration in Management from Indiana Tech, that was a pinnacle moment for me.  As a young person who wondered if I would ever even go to College while trying to “figure life out” it certainly was a great achievement for me to know I could aspire to getting my MBA and I truly think it made me realize I could do just about anything.  Especially after that 180 page final thesis paper I wrote…..yes I am sure I still have that somewhere.  I mean, who comes up with this stuff!!??   

What MPI resources have you used to help you cope in 2020?

I have enjoyed the monthly coffee chats and my board service overall with MI during 2020.  I found after 9 years of being involved with the Chapter- I have felt the most engaged and happiest I have been since being a member by getting to serve along this amazing group of professionals who are now friends.  

What is the greatest place you have ever visited? 

I plan to take many more vacations as I mature in my life but so far recently; I enjoyed a great week in the Smoky Mountains with my family back in May.  I am convinced May is the perfect time to go as the Temp. is just right, the towns aren’t too packed yet and the area coming to life with Spring Blooms is just breathtaking.  The Smoky Mountains National Park and Cades Cove was a fave during our visit but I also will never forget the 70 foot drop slide that I was “dared” to go down at Dollywood’s Splash Country while we were there.  If you have never felt your stomach leap into your neck and your into that kind of thing this is the ride for you.  Just be sure to never call me a “chicken” as my competitive side will come out and I just might do that crazy thing that  I never imagined I could, and I’m better for it!        

Something people don’t know about you:

Many people know that I like to tear up a dance floor, most of my “dance club” moments have been at MPI WEC Rendezvous or a Closing night Bash at ISAE with friends.  Nothing better than dancing the night away with friends and waking up the next morning and not being able to move but pulling it together anyway!!  But I also love just about any other style of music.  I want to join a mosh pit at a Rock Concert someday….and I love kicking back and listening to a great Symphony Orchestra too.  I believe that all styles of music can have their own dance moves and I love to be silly and make those moves up around my house while my boys look on.  They can either join the fun or label me weird Mom but either way I won’t miss out on celebrating those musical beats of life!