Columbia is near and dear to my heart because it’s my hometown. I graduated from Rock Bridge High School and went on to graduate from Mizzou and started my career with Shelter Insurance® right here in Columbia.
The early days of my career with Shelter took me to Oklahoma, but I eventually came back to Columbia—the place I’m proud to call home and proud to support in the following ways:
Leadership Columbia
I completed Leadership Columbia in 2012. This program was developed by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Fair Missouri Foundation and the University of Missouri’s Trulaske College of Business to identify, cultivate and motivate future community leaders.
Campaign Leadership
I served as the campaign co-chair for the Heart of Missouri United Way in 2016, successfully leading the organization to surpass its $3 million fundraising goal. impacted organizations in Columbia such as The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri, Services for Independent Living, the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture and the Voluntary Action Center (just to name a few).
Ongoing Sponsorship
My agency continues to support United Way initiatives, including serving as a sponsor for the 2025 “20 Under 40” celebration, which named United Way its official nonprofit partner.
Board and Community Roles
I have been a long-time advocate for the United Way’s community impact model and I frequently speak on how the organization effectively creates metric systems for funded entities.
My passion for supporting my community is one reason why I’m an agent for Shelter Insurance®. This year Shelter is celebrating their 80th anniversary and they have a long history of community involvement. The Shelter Insurance Foundation has supported the community through donations to local organizations, scholarship programs and the Fred V. Heinkel Award. They also have a committee called Shelter Cares which meets monthly to review volunteer opportunities and share them with their teams.
Outside of volunteering and making charitable contributions, Shelter is home to Shelter Gardens, which is enjoyed by the entire community and hosts free and fun activities, such as occasional concerts in Shelter Gardens and the Winter Wonderland Garden of Lights during the holidays. All of these events are popular in Columbia and Shelter is glad it’s part of what makes Columbia a great place to live.
