Biography

My entire career has been focused on Customer Service and the ability to work with and educate others.  I began my career as a Customer Support Specialist for a regional long distance company in Wisconsin.  It was very early in this position that I discovered the satisfaction I received from helping others understand complex technology challenges. 

I continued to seek out opportunities to expand my knowledge of technology and help people as I moved between both small and large companies.   I earned my first management position while working at TDS Telecom and enjoyed the satisfaction one can receive by teaching and allowing individuals to grow within their own careers. 

Over the last 13 years, the University of Wisconsin – Madison has presented a number of unique opportunities to continue to broaden my experiences and knowledge in technology.  In 2009, I was hired as a Product Manager for the DoIT Tech Store.  My responsibilities included inventory management but more importantly, working with customers and employees to find the correct product mix of fun and function.  I was also tasked with overseeing the remodel of the main Tech Store location and restocking the inventory to achieve the best product mix.

In 2012, I was hired to oversee the store operations at the DoIT Tech Store Supervisor.  Not only was I responsible for sales and support of customers in the store, but I was tasked with hiring and training 30+ students and a small full-time staff.  During my tenure as Tech Store Supervisor, I also managed the buildout and staffing of two remote Tech Store sites, which would offer both sales and technology support for students and staff across campus. In the store, it was extremely important for our staff to understand the technology needs of different schools/colleges on campus and assist students with the tools to be successful.  My role included reaching out to these schools and working across campus to meet all their unique needs.  Each summer, over 7000 incoming freshman and their parents would visit the UW Campus to register for classes and purchase their technology!  Our store was their source of information.  In addition, I was asked to present our product/service catalog to 300+ parents per week as a part of the registration process.

In May 2017, I joined the Network Services group at UW-Madison as the Manager of Operational Engineering.  This role gave me the chance to manage a group of 4 very talented Operational Engineers.  They are the “first responders” of our network, working to investigate network alarms 24x7 and troubleshooting issues to resolution.  In addition, I continue to expand my Customer Service skills by incorporating ITIL strategies to manage campus renovations/new builds which include multiple departments. The coordination of multiple services to provide network and internet access to customers on campus is incredibly satisfying and helps me to break down barriers across departments.

My latest adventure with the University of Wisconsin has been in Cybersecurity.  In February 2020 I was asked to step into the interim role of Associate Director of Risk Management & Compliance.  This team works collaboratively with all of our campus partners (researcher, Deans, IT teams and developers) to ensure that data is classified correctly and secured within proper guidelines.  I interviewed and was offered the job permanently in February 2021 and it has been a fun and educational ride to learn Cybersecurity in the midst of a pandemic.