Hello! Nice to meet you.

U.S. Rep. Rod Chandler selects the winning entry in a raffle. High-tech selection at its finest! That's me - second from the left. I'd already changed out of my "work outfit" since I only had the one good outfit, (red batwing top , a black circle skirt and a gold belt--from Nordstrom!) and I needed to keep it clean.

I fell in love with public relations and marketing during a weekend in 1983. I was 10 and making a general pest of myself at Dad’s work. It just so happened that his work that weekend consisted of overseeing the Computer Showcase Expo in Seattle. So they put me to work. Since I’d been running around the exhibition center all week, I knew everyone there. I knew the best paths and how to see the coolest stuff, and that’s how I got my first public relations job as a greeter, guide and general errand runner. The highlight of my week was guiding U.S. Rep. Rod Chandler through the fair and watching him experience the mouse (a brand-new computer tool) on the Apple Lisa computer.

From then on I took a surprisingly straight path to where I am today. As the only child of a public relations executive (who is also a clown, actor, and amazing Dad) and a bookkeeper (who is also a bellydancer, a delight, and a Mama bear to many), I had several advantages that others didn’t have. I spent many hours at my Dad’s office and had a good feel for the realities of public relations before I even had my first internship.

I’ve learned a lot since that first foray into PR. Over the years I’ve shared the news of, and delivered results for, companies ranging from A-Z (no - really, from aerospace to Zespri kiwifruit). In the 20+ years that I’ve been working in PR, I’ve figured out who I am and what I really bring to the table that others can’t. I’m a team builder, collaborator, storyteller, strategist, and cheerleader.

It to me a long time to realize that strategic communication planning doesn’t come naturally to everyone. As a big-picture thinker with significant business acumen, I build plans that deliver measurable results. I’m also an excellent devil’s advocate.

I was once described as a duck in a henhouse…apparently I took it further than just being a duck out of water. And I’ve consistently been accused of taking things further. I made a cover story out of a pile of junk, secured national news coverage for the opening of a tiny lab, and squeezed more mileage out of an airplane fix than anybody would’ve thought possible -- including a National Geographic show, two magazine covers and one of Boeing’s most-watched videos. Along the way I’ve earned a dozen (and counting) awards including Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil, Sabre Award, International Association of Business Communicators Gold Quill, and the Jake Wittmer Research Award.

Lately I’ve been focusing on visual storytelling. I love to help the world see how Boeing employees are building the fighter of the future, teaching unmanned vehicles to collaborate, and doing big things with data.