Biography

Unlike many local politicians, I cannot claim to be from a long line of Saline County citizens. The truth is I was born at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri and spent parts of my childhood in Kansas and Florida.

My family moved frequently when I was young, finally settling in the tiny rural community of Laquey. I attended Laquey High School and graduated with honors before attending Central Missouri State University.

At CMSU, I majored in journalism and minored in political science. I was a Dean's List scholar and spent four years writing for the CMSU student newspaper. When I graduated, I had never heard of Marshall or Saline County, let alone visited here.

I wasn't introduced to the community until Shelly Arth called to offer me an interview for a reporting position she had available at the Marshall Democrat-News.

I took the job with the intention of staying a year or two and then moving on to bigger and better things. The thing is, I didn't have to move on. I was always able to find the bigger and better things right here.

Over the better part of a decade, I worked to bring Saline County its daily news. I covered the triumphs and the tragedies and made many friends along the way.

You see, you don't have to be born here to know that Saline County is someplace special. I'm not a native, but I got here as soon as I could.

P.O. Box 311, Marshall, Mo. 65340

(660) 831-0280