Board Member Spotlight
Vice President of Human Resources at Grand Design RV and RVWA Board Member
Looking back as early as ten years old I knew I wanted to be in leadership. As a preteen I would hold education sessions in the garage with the neighbor kids. If they were unable to attend, I lined up my dolls, stuffed animals, and my dog, Ralph. Unbeknownst to me at the time this translated to being a nice babysitting vocation. I began my professional career at 20 as a Human Resources Intern while pursuing my undergraduate degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Purdue University Fort Wayne. Upon graduation I was hired by the company where I interned and completed an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.
For the past 28 years I have held Human Resources leadership positions in manufacturing companies including aerospace, automotive, medical device, and now -proudly- in the RV industry. I am currently the Vice President of Human Resources at Grand Design RV and am responsible for talent acquisition, experience, leadership, and development of our team members. We help leaders think strategically on complex issues while understanding the implications to the business, culture, and people. Life and leadership of people is undeniably more complex than when I was teaching my dog Ralph the alphabet. Outside of the office, I hold the most important jobs of mom, wife, and grandma(mare). I took a meaningful 5-year break in my career to be with our children. As the saying goes: the days were long but the years were short. Our family loves the outdoors and being on the water as much as possible and for the past 8 years I have been serving on our local Boys and Girls Club Board.
When I joined Grand Design RV, I was excited to learn more about RVWA because I am leading our local Women Inclusion Network through a larger network of all Winnebago Business Units. Our mission is to support the professional development of women by encouraging access to learning, mentoring, and networking opportunities with the goals of increasing women’s sense of belonging and the percentage of women in leadership roles within our business. I believe we are serving all our team members with gratitude, respect, and accountability by providing networks and opportunities like those at RVWA. Disclaimer: Life/work struggles and conflicts have been removed to protect the innocent. 🙂