Having had my hands in accounting and accounting-related fields since high school, I have truly enjoyed most all aspects of my career. It’s been amazing to see and be a part of the advances in technology and systems that have changed these fields. I started after high school at an auto parts dealer in Greeley, CO and worked there for about 5 years in various areas: bookkeeping, filling orders, and delivering parts to local vehicle dealers, repair shops, and jobsites. Back in the “old days” it was very rare to see a female delivering auto parts.

I then spent about 10 years in Kimball, Lincoln, and finally Hastings, Nebraska working at a major HVAC manufacturer in the accounting and production control departments. It was there that I worked with my first computer which filled two rooms and performed fewer functions than today’s common cell phone – something we never could have imagined. I later moved back to Colorado where I handled the accounting for a commercial general contractor in Broomfield, CO for about 10 years until the death of the owner and closure of the company.

Immediately after, I went to work for a commercial general contractor in Longmont, CO. I was fortunate to be hired when the company was very small and in the process of being ‘re-activated’ with a new owner/partner. During my 16-year employment and eventual position as Controller, the successful company grew from 3 to over 100 employees.

Interesting fact: while I was working with the construction company in Broomfield, we were contracted to build for the artist Christo. Some of his projects in which the company was involved are the Valley Curtain at Rifle Gap Colorado, the Running Fence in Sonoma and Marin Counties California, the Surrounded Islands off Miami Florida, the Umbrellas in California and Japan, the Pont Neuf Wrapped in Paris, and the Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin. While not directly involved in all projects – traveling, meeting, and working with engineers, contractors, PR people, photographers, etc. from all over the world as well as Christo and his late wife, Jeanne-Claude were all unique and unforgettable experiences.

After retiring and doing a lot of traveling for about 18 months, I missed working, especially in construction, and was looking into a couple of options for part-time work. The timing was right and shortly thereafter I was contacted by my former co-workers, Henry Zurbrugg and Andy Wood. They were in the planning stages of opening a new general contracting firm and asked if I was interested in becoming a partner and handling the accounting and administration areas. It turned out to be the perfect opportunity for me. In less than 4 years, the company had grown to the point that my position required much more time and attention than I was able to give.

We were so fortunate to then find a talented and capable accountant, Erin Aitken, who has taken over and rightly excelled in the position. I am very lucky to again be able to work part-time with my old friends and the new, remarkable professionals who have joined our organization the past few years.