Director of Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Land Management
What was your first job?
I loved to babysit in my youth and often chose to spend time with kids over going out with friends. My first official job at sixteen was assisting a dermatologist with inventory and stocking a supply room.
What got you interested in this industry?
I grew up playing outside in a neighborhood park; didn’t come home until the streetlights came on! As a family, we also boated and vacationed up and down the upper Mississippi River. While attending college in a very urban location adjacent to the city of Chicago border, I was emotionally and spiritually moved by open space when leaving the city, as if experiencing for the first time.
Any exciting projects you are working on that you would like to share?
Working on details to open in 2024 IDNR’s first OHV park, 26 miles at Sahara Woods in Saline County Illinois.
Highlight one or two state parks in Illinois and why we should visit.
Starved Rock State Park located along the Illinois River in La Salle County is one of Illinois' most beautiful destinations. Starved Rock was designated as Illinois' second state park in 1911. The park's 18 canyons feature vertical walls of moss-covered St. Peter Sandstone formed by glacial meltwater that slice dramatically through tree-covered sandstone bluffs. This site is unlike anything you’d expect in central Illinois. It’s visitation parallels that of a national park.
Nestled in the Shawnee National Forest, Giant City State Park in Jackson County was named for the unique impressions made by its massive sandstone structures and a landscape like none other, a wash in lush garments of fern, moss, flowering mints, hundreds of species of wild flowers and more than 75 varieties of towering trees. Especially popular is the Giant City Nature Trail, home of the “Giant City Streets” – huge bluffs of sandstone formed 12,000 years ago.
Both of these parks have beautiful lodges constructed by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps).
Most memorable moment(s) in your career?
Driving through the entrance of a state park as a seasonal interpreter and knowing I was where I was meant to be.
Meeting my future husband at Conservation World during the Illinois State Fair. He was a Conservation Police Officer, and we became a natural resources couple.
Being offered my current position as Director of Land Management; not in my wildest dreams did I imagine finishing my career at this level. I’m honored and humbled.
What’s the most motivational/inspiring thing anyone has ever said to you?
Do your best and leave the rest to the Lord.
“The sun is shining, the birds are singing, it’s a great day to be alive.” Dr. Frank Lupton (d. 2021), Professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration at Western Illinois University.
What are you most passionate about?
Deepening my faith; snatching moments of peace throughout the day; appreciating the beauty of God’s world.
What are you reading?
Have good starts on the following three:
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown
Holy Spirit: The Bondage Breaker, David Diga Hernandez
Legal Aspects of Public Procurement, Flynn, Buffington, and Pennington
Pets - My husband and I are owned by: Cassie, 14-year-old Shih-Tzu; Annie, 2-year-old Chocolate Lab with special needs; Grady, African Grey Parrot; Maddie, Blue and Yellow Macaw; Molly, Red-Fronted Macaw.
Hobbies - Reading, sewing projects, sitting in and strolling through the woods, birdwatching, backyard bird feeding, riding my Harley Davidson, and boating.
