BLI Graduation Year: 1998
Tell us briefly about yourself and please update your classmates on your personal/professional experiences since graduating from BLI:
I worked for the former Girl Scouts – Indian Hills Council at the time I participated in BLI. I continued working for the Girl Scouts after five councils merged to form Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways from 2009 to 2012. A highlight of my last year was working with a volunteer team to host a 100th Anniversary camping weekend for girls from throughout the 26 county area. I enjoyed working for Family Enrichment Network for a few years before joining the Rural Health Network of SCNY in 2015.
Favorite books/movies:
I can’t possibly make this a short list. I enjoy reading suspense, thrillers and romance novels. Although I have enjoyed many movies that make you think and reflect, the movies I will watch over and over tend to be romantic comedies or musicals like The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Adventures in Babysitting, Ghost, or While You Were Sleeping.
Current and Past Notable Civic Activities:
I’m currently the Chair of the BLI Selections Committee, chair of the Broome County Quilters Guild, and Treasurer for Windsor United Methodist Players Dessert Theater. Until recently, I was also a concessions volunteer at the Cider Mill Playhouse for many years.
Interests/Hobbies:
Quilting, crochet, cooking, history, theater, and day trips to explore the area
How did your BLI experience change your perception of the community?
I loved learning about aspects of the community I was unfamiliar with. The opportunity to visit businesses and learn about their work, products or services opened my eyes to the variety of sectors operating in the Southern Tier. I found the economic development session to be particularly interesting as I had never considered the ways in which community resources such as infrastructure impact business growth.
How did your BLI experience motivate you to become more involved in the community?
My BLI experience reinforced traits modeled by my parents and my years in Girl Scouting. Community involvement has always been part of my life. BLI showed me that involvement can take many forms and there is no lack of opportunity for someone to contribute their talents and time.
What was your most memorable BLI activity/moment?
1998 was a while ago; so I don’t remember every session. But I do remember that our retreat was a two-day experience that included both outdoor team building at BOCES and indoor exercises at the Sherwood Hotel in Greene.
What was the most valuable benefit to you from your BLI experience?
I still cross paths with some of the other members of my class and enjoy catching up with them when I do. I’ve served on the selection committee for a number of years and like meeting the class candidates. It is inspiring to meet so many people with an interest in community service.
What “nugget of wisdom” do you have for your fellow BLI alum?
What I hope for each BLI graduate is that they contribute to the community in a way they find personally satisfying. Leadership isn’t always a high profile role. Community service is about the hundreds of ways people use their talents to further organizations or causes they are passionate about.