I grew up and lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan most of my life. I received my BA in Business Administration from Hope College in 1992. Having been in the building and real estate business all my life I received my builder's license in 1995, real estate license in 1998 as well as a broker's license in 2003. Throughout the years I have been involved in hundreds of transactions focusing primarily in residential sales. I am a member of real estate organizations such as NAR, MAR and GKAR of which I was chair of the local Broker Forum. I am also a member of home builder organizations such as NAHB, MAHB and HBAGK of which I previously served as chair of the Marketing/Public Relations committee for the local association. I currently am a Trustee of the Comstock Public School Board until my term expires in December 2008. Some ask why I am on the local school board when I do not have children and my answer is education is very important to me and it should be important to everyone. The children of today will one day be making decisions for all of us and we need to make sure they have the best education possible in order to compete in a global economy and make the best decisions for all of us in the future. Besides all of the charity work I do with the school system I also volunteer time to the Comstock Community Center. Our office is a drop site during the holidays for non-perishable foods and clothing for those children and families in need in our area. As well as spending time working and donating my time with local Charities some of my hobbies include volleyball, softball, scuba diving, traveling, volunteering and spending time with friends, family and my dogs.