Work: William Mitchell College of Law
Spouse: N/A
2 Children
3 Grandchildren
Information update: 04/20/2022

My life has been filled with music, art, and a wonderful family.
MUSIC - Fifty years ago I dreamed of becoming a professional horn player and although life offered other choices, I never quit playing the horn and still perform to this day. Over the years, I helped found a chamber symphony in Kansas, was a charter member of the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra, where I played 1st Horn for 25 years, and played in community orchestras wherever I lived. I've given recitals - the Brahms Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano, being one of my greatest joys - and performed the Strauss 1st Horn Concerto with three different orchestras. I've enjoyed concerts across the US and Europe. One memorable trip was to the Sibelius Festival in Finland, 2005, where I heard all seven Sibelius symphonies, toured Sibelius' country home and immersed myself in beautiful music for a week. I now perform with the Plymouth Concert Band, a great group of life-long musicians like me. We played the American Overture on our Spring concert, which brought back wonderful memories of Duluth Central and Bill Moody!

CAREER - I was a Biology major and at first taught high school biology, chemistry and physics. Languages were my other interest and I studied German and French, and although I rarely use those today, I'm fluent in Swedish and that has been very valuable. I made several career changes and went from Science Teacher to the Minnesota Department of Health, with long stints as a Public Health Sanitarian and Environmental Health Policy Analyst. I finished my Public Health career as the Director of Environmental Health and member of the executive staff of a large county health department in Illinois. There I served on the Governor's Bioterrorism Task Force and also worked in conjunction with the Chicago FBI, training public health agencies in bioterrorism preparedness. During the 9/11 crisis I served in emergency management in an underground bunker for several hours tracking events. It was an interesting and challenging period. I retired from Public Health in -2002 and soon after started consulting in pharmaceutical and medical device companies doing technical writing. I found myself in an interesting niche combining a love of science and writing. I moved back to Minnesota in 2007 and planned to retire - but I seem to keep finding interesting work.

ART - In my mid 40's I found my artistic voice and operated my own stained glass studio for 15 years, with several of my works in churches, private residences and public buildings - including a large 72 sq. ft. window installed in 1994 at the Minnesota Veteran's Home in Minneapolis (I sent a photo of my work to be posted). I did both design and fabrication, but also contracted out the larger installations. I won the MN Veteran's Home commission after returning from an art residency at the Derix Studio in Germany, where I studied with some of the greatest post war glass artists. I'm now interested in fused glass and back into a creative mode.

FAMILY - My family today consists of two sons, with three grandchildren and another one due in August. My former husband Alan died in 2003 - we were married 31 years and lived in Kansas, Scotland, and Minnesota. We had a country home of 45 acres on Lake Marshall in southwestern Minnesota and restored a native prairie, returning that land back to Minnesota. So for at least 100 years, our prairie will lie untouched. I have brothers, nephews and nieces who also live in Minnesota and I feel very lucky to have the family I have.

TRAVEL - I travel frequently to Sweden where I have family roots in the far north and stay in my father's hometown with my Swedish family. I've sailed in the Swedish archipelago and love exploring those islands. I've made several trips to Europe and traveled extensively in the U.K. - England, Scotland and Wales. I love the French countryside and Paris is a favorite - I was there at the turn of the century taking in the dazzling lights and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. Last summer I was in Sweden, Finland and St. Petersburg, Russia for a month. I prefer cooler climates, but also ventured out of my comfort zone and vacationed in St. Thomas a year ago. I've been to remote areas in British Columbia, the Canadian Rockies, the Colorado Rockies, and backpacking in the Bighorns. I'm a wildflower enthusiast and key out the flowers wherever I go!

VOLUNTEER - I volunteer with the Minnesota Orchestra, Young People's Concert Association, and am on the Board as the Musical Mentors Chair. I'm raising money and helping with the music competitions and providing school children across the region with a chance to hear a symphony concert. I do this in thanks to others who provided me with my first symphony concerts and love of music (Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Moody, the good times we had in Jr. High at Doug Lind's for jam sessions after schoo