I joined UUCP as the Business Administrator in late February of 2020. I was introduced into the position just three weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and closed everything down. My first year of employment with UUCP certainly had an interesting twist to it, but I have loved every moment of it. I have really enjoyed bringing my strong history of administrative roles and office management positions into this role and helping bring things together on the back end of the organization.

I was born in Mesa, Arizona, and lived there through most of my childhood until my mom decided it was time for us to venture North. When I say North I mean like Whitefish, Montana, North. We lived there just shy of 2 years and then it was back to the Valley of the Sun! I finished out my high school years in Gilbert until I turned 21 and off I went all around the valley. All of my siblings live in the valley, we are all different towns, except one he lives in the Arcadia area and I’m in the Ahwatukee area, but far enough apart.

In August 2010, I had a lovely, wild, athletic, free-spirited amazing daughter, her name is Brookelyn. From late 2011 to late 2014, it was just her and I until I met the guy that I finally decided to settle down with. We got married in early 2015 and I became a bonus mom! We have kept each other busy since we got married between concerts, house projects, sporting events, vacations, hiking, all the sports the kids are in, my family, and our animals. The memories that we have created together and with the kids are certainly my favorite. Once we hit the empty nesting stage I’m going to have to find some hobbies because when the kids are away at their other parents’ houses during the summertime in other states, I get a little bored!

I worked for TriWest, military healthcare for 7 years until they lost the next option year contract to United. Once we received that notice I decided it was time to enroll into college. I am only a few credit hours shy of finishing my degree in Justice Studies with Criminology and Forensic Science. After TriWest, I went to Public Partnerships, LLC (PPL), which is a company that works with state agencies that provide in-home healthcare. A thorough background check of the advocate enrolling to care for someone had to be conducted along with all their normal I-9 and tax forms and each team managed different states. Then a friend told me I should apply for the company she just went to, so after a little over 3 years at PPL, I applied and became the Office Manager at Katerra, Inc., at the Phoenix Factory. At the factory there were assembly lines that put together wall panels, roof trusses, floor trusses, complete bathroom kits, cabinets, and countertops. It was a 240,000 square foot facility and at its prime had 500 employees, with a fully staffed kitchen onsite that I managed the vendor for. I learned so much from that position both personally and professionally; it was a great experience. The Phoenix factory closed its doors on 12/27/2019; both my husband and I worked there for just a little over 3 years. He was a structural engineer.

Thankfully, I was only unemployed for about 2 months until I applied and interviewed with UUCP. I will never forget the moment that I met Rev. Christine on Zoom for my first interview. It was an instant connection and I couldn’t wait for the assessment and next interview where I met Gary Ezzell, Kim St. Clair, and Katie Harris, and Rev. Christine in person. I was then invited to attend a Sunday Worship Service undercover and I met many people, but Jonny Lifshitz was the most memorable person I met that day. If you know Jonny, then you just know.