I am originally from Alabama, where my grandparents and their young children were small farmers, raising what they needed in order to eat.
My grandparents were my heroes; they cleared land in order to build the house they lived in, and the barn to keep their livestock and store their harvest to sustain them through the winter.
My father learned to plow with a mule and manual plow blade, milking cows before school each day, and doing chores after classes. Water was fetched from the pump outside the kitchen door, and the only heat was from the living room fireplace or kitchen stove where everything was cooked in a cast-iron skillet. My grandfather was also a carpenter who built everything they needed, and my grandmother later became a nurse at the local clinic. Through their hard work and sacrifice, each of their children went to college and built careers beyond the farm. That is what America represents!
I spent time in several other states growing up, and through that, I have been exposed to many different cultures and types of people. I have seen how the extremely well-off live, and the hard lives of struggling everyday people. Mostly, I saw how people would come together in time of need to help neighbors and strangers rise up from adversity. I saw how people who had gained a measure of success would reach out to help others achieve their own success.
I moved to Virginia in my early adulthood and lived there for over forty years, earning two accounting degrees and a masters in Public Administration, and was a licensed Certified Public Accountant (now retired).
My career with the Commonwealth of Virginia spanned twenty-eight years, during which I served several state agencies in different capacities. My primary roles were in accounting and grants management, but I also directed human resources, IT/database management, facilities/asset management, and procurement/contracting within certain positions.
My career gave me exposure and experience at governmental agencies such as: behavioral health and substance abuse, juvenile justice, emergency management and homeland security, health and drinking water, information technology, and conservation and recreation; soil and water. Within each job, I gained insights into the importance of state resources in bettering the lives of its citizens, often in ways that may not be immediately apparent. Additionally, I collaborated with state legislative staff to develop appropriations to reach targeted constituents, and with federal agencies on grants to better serve those same constituents. Working within accounting and managing grant programs, I knew what it meant to be a good steward of tax dollars that funded services and programs. I knew that any wasteful use of those dollars could directly limit the impact and the success of the program or the services provided to the constituents. It was my job, when necessary, to deny questionable costs and maintain fiscal integrity and compliance. I wasn’t always popular, but I did my best to protect those I served.
Through my government service, I have always been aware of how critical it is for citizens to be encouraged, empowered, and protected through state programs and oversight.
