Astrological sign: Aries

Favorite quote:  Nothing will work unless you do – Maya Angelou

Hobbies:  I love spending time with family and friends, working out at the gym, running outdoors, dancing, traveling, sun bathing at the lake, watching sports, and working!

Favorite rural destination in California: My own property in El Dorado County: three quaint acres with roaming deer, and turkeys amidst hundreds of pine trees, millions of stars and a priceless serenity. 

How long with CSRHA: Over 5.5 years.

Positions held with CSRHA: Administrative Assistant, Program Coordinator, and Communications & Member Services Manager

Current position and responsibilities: As the Interim Executive Director, I manage the daily affairs of the CSRHA, and I provide support to the Board of Directors and committees of the Board. I also represent CSRHA as a spokesperson and advocate for those efforts related to government agencies, health care organizations, community groups, media, and the public at large. In addition, I work to maintain collaboration with other rural health-related organizations.

As the Education and Outreach Director, I develop and implement educational and outreach programs, including a series of statewide distance-learning trainings and legislative briefings, the annual conference and regional rural roundtables in the central and southern part of the state.  I manage advocacy programs, including the Rural Workforce Collaborative, a 19-member statewide advocacy collaborative working to establish and implement strategies to address health professional workforce shortages in rural California.

Favorite CSRHA memory: The Rural Roundtable at Tenaya Lodge in the summer of 2006, after the CSRHA staff had provided an update on the association’s activities to the hundred or so people in attendance. I felt I had to express a few words to those present regarding the need to bring new, young, and energized individuals into their organizations. I shared the success of CSRHA’s internship program, and I offered to assist anyone who wanted to start an internship program at their own organization. I pointed out that in all the rural meetings I have attended, including this one, there are very few young people present. Apparently my choice of words was age-sensitive to the group and the crowd broke out in laughter because they felt they were being referred to as “old folks.” It became a constant joke during the two-day rural roundtable meeting. As I departed Tenaya Lodge after the meeting, I said goodbye to an attendee as I walked to my car. The women remembered the comment I had made during the meeting regarding the involvement of young and upcoming leaders and she said, “That was perhaps the most important thing said during this whole meeting.” I was flabbergasted by the women’s comment and proud for speaking up during the roundtable to share something that I continue to believe is very important.

Article posted on 1/17/08