I was born and raised in the East Texas oil field living in Tyler and Kilgore. During my senior year in high school, my mother and I moved to Norman, Oklahoma so I would have access to a four year college. My accent is a little Texas and Oklahoma mixture.
I first got involved in Democratic politics while attending the University of Oklahoma where I met my husband Robert, who is now deceased. He was a member of a large pioneer Oklahoma family (and cousin to James Garner, the movie star) that had always been heavily involved in Democratic politics as his father had been a County Commissioner and Election Board Secretary. Naturally I got involved in party politics working for various candidates, serving as President of the Cleveland County Democratic Women's Club, etc. Robert was also Party Chairman for a while for Cleveland County.
A very close friend of ours, Lee Cate, was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives and later to the Senate. During his 20 plus years of service, he asked me to be the Secretary of the Election Board for our county. When I took office in 1975, Cleveland County was the third largest county in Oklahoma out of 77 counties. We were still voting on paper ballots. I computerized the voter registration system. Later, I instituted electronic voting similar to what Maricopa county has today.
In 1989, Maricopa County was looking for a new Elections Director. I applied and got the job, but after the General Election of 1990, Jim Shumway lost the election for Secretary of State. Helen Purcell, County Recorder, replaced me with him. I had to make a career change and start over. From the University of Oklahoma, I had a BBA in Family Finance so I decided to become a financial planner. I worked for the old IDS Company which is now Ameriprise, and in 1995, I went to work for Charles Schwab & Company working in various areas as a trader, trainer and the last five years in the Sun City/Arrowhead office as a Vice President - Financial Consultant. I retired October 2007.
I have three grown children and six grandchildren. My son, Sean, and his wife Nancy were in Sydney, Australia but are returning to Houston, TX soon. My son, Shane, and his wife, Kelly, and three children live in Charlotte, NC. My daughter, Kara, and her husband, Patrick, are moving back to Phoenix from Shaker Heights, OH as she has accepted a job as a school psychologist in the Paradise Valley School system. In addition to my volunteer work, I am taking a class in Conversational Spanish for seniors at PVCC and have attended some ballroom dance lessons. Last year, I took Scuba diving, but decided it was not for me. It is nice to be able to explore some new experiences.