My love for history goes back more than 30 years.  I have always been drawn to real life stories and interesting people.  After spending more than 20 years in the financial services industry, I left that world to follow my passion of helping people save the stories of their lives. Red Artichoke Stories was born from that passion.

I grew up in Wisconsin and have a degree in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My husband and I moved to Salt Lake City about 17 years ago thinking we would only be here a few years, but we have ended up making it our home for our 2 boys.

My passion for personal history began with my job at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) where I directly assisted newly arrived refugees as they transitioned to life here in Salt Lake City. At any given time, our office was serving individuals and families from over ten countries—all with incredibly unique histories. Working so closely with diverse populations and learning about these individuals taught me that despite our drastically different backgrounds, we still have those shared human experience that bind us. The connection I felt then is what I want to inspire in others in my pursuit of personal history: a sense of belonging across cultural, societal, and generational boundaries. Since working with the IRC, I have been involved with various projects and organizations dedicated to helping individuals share their stories, and I look forward to continuing that path with Red Artichoke Stories.