I was born and raised in Southwest Florida. I met my husband when I was 13 years old. I was married at 19. Before I married my husband, Kevin, I didn’t really have a full understanding of the military. My dad served in Vietnam long before I was ever thought about. Kevin and I married in 2002 in Fayetteville North Carolina, he had already been in the military a few years. He joined the Army National Guard in 1997 and became active in 2000. We were stationed at Fort Bragg North Carolina during all four of his deployments; Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan again for 15 months. He was deployed every other year until we left. We left NC in 2009 to move to Mississippi where Kevin was stationed at Camp Shelby for a teaching position. It wasn’t until we moved to MS that I really became aware of the effects the military has on our soldiers. PTSD not only affected Kevin but me as well. Kevin was medically retired in 2013 after a long fight to stay in.

Kevin and I will be married for 21 years this November. We have 3 amazing children (24, 20 and 17). We are living in Petal, Mississippi.
I have had the privilege of being a part of some amazing organizations over the years. I have done suicide awareness walks; I have been a peer coordinator and an advocate. It wasn’t until early April 2019 that I received a message from a friend letting me know that Soldiers Freedom Outdoors was looking for a client care specialist and it could be done remotely. I reached out to the late Mrs. Gail to inquire about the position. After a short time talking to her, she spoke to the board, and they agreed to have me join as the retreat coordinator. I had never felt so at home or ever been welcomed with open arms by a stranger before. Mrs. Gail was truly amazing; I only wish I would have had the opportunity to meet her in person. I have been with SFO ever since.

SFO extended to Mississippi in 2022, Kevin and I are honored to be able to run this extension. Daniel and the SFO team are so supportive, we are a family. It takes a whole team to make an organization like this function, we could not ask for a better one. I appreciate the opportunity and am so humbled to be on board. I love giving back and helping others and the military will always be a huge part of our lives. I hold a special place in my heart for all our Veterans. It wasn’t until recently that I really knew I was doing exactly what I was meant to do. Knowing that you have somehow touched the lives of others is a wonderful feeling. This is where my heart is.