In 2014, while I was teaching bridge to beginners at the YMCA a bridge and tennis friend, Ellen Lowdermilk, asked me to play duplicate with her.  My response was “I am not good enough to play that”, but Ellen’s enthusiasm prevailed.  We began playing in Cindy Wright’s novice games. My husband, Mark, began playing with me in 2015 when Ellen began playing with her wonderful husband, Tad. Mark and I became life masters in 2018.  We finished second in the District 7 Grand National Teams Flight C that year and first in 2019.  Team games are our favorite so we try to play in many Regional and National tournaments.  We also feel grateful for all the really fine players who have mentored us so we try to give back by mentoring newer players. Mentoring is extremely important because everybody wins!  We find that when we mentor, we also learn. In April 2023, I completed the ACBL’s Club Director course and test.

Before bridge, I was graduated from the School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, then a Masters of Business from UNC Chapel Hill. I worked for USSteel in Pittsburgh Headquarters as the Lime Buyer for all the steel mills and coal mines, in Mergers and Acquisitions, then for AT&T National Accounts.  When we became parents, I handled taxes, payroll, projects, and the website for Mark’s pediatric dental practice.  In my spare time, I chaired Community Service at our church, raised scholarship funds for the PTA, was Treasurer for the PTA/Women of the Church/Dental Alliance.  I completed the courses and tests to become a NC Real Estate Broker. We have two grown children, Carson in Winston-Salem and Claire in Atlanta.  Now retired, we spend a lot of time at Smith Mountain Lake where grow an organic garden, play and direct bridge, cook gourmet meals, make beer, sew, create stained glass, and frequently host friends and family.