Bio

In 2007 I recognized the need to support women working in transportation careers, so I founded the non-profit organization, Women In Trucking Association Inc. Our mission is to help women become aware of career opportunities and then to mentor and assist them as they become more successful in their roles. Women In Trucking is not limited to women only, as 15 percent of our members are men who believe in the association's goals. I began my career in trucking upon earning my diploma in Traffic and Transportation Management in 1980 while I was employed as Traffic Manager for a steel fabricating plant. After starting my family I used this education to became a freelance transportation consultant to carriers in Wisconsin. I kept the carriers legal through licensing and permitting their trucks for more than 16 years. During that time, I completed my Master's Degree in Communication from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. My master's thesis research focused on the complex identities of women married to professional drivers. To better understand the driver training process I earned my commercial driver's license (CDL) in 2008 at Cuyoga Community College near Cleveland, OH.