Age: 37
Occupation: Producer – AW Welt Ambrisco Insurance Inc.
What is your greatest professional achievement: I’m scheduled to obtain my CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor) designation in November when I pass my fifth and final exam.
Who are your mentors: It’s hard to name anyone specifically without leaving someone out. My involvement in the Iowa City Area Chamber, the Chamber’s Community Leadership Program (CLP) and support from people at AW Welt Ambrisco has served as a mentoring network.
How do you ensure a balance between work and your personal life: It’s always hard, but understanding priorities is important. Faith and family come first. When those relationships aren’t healthy, you will never be able to reach your full potential in the workplace.
What is the best advice you ever received: Lots from my late grandfather, Ray Vens. But my favorite quote is from Earl Nightingale, “Success is the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal.”
What do you know now that you wish you had known earlier in your career: You don’t need to have all of the answers, but you have to be willing to find them.
What would most people be surprised to learn about you: I have lifetime bans from three go-kart tracks in Wisconsin, all before I was 13. (Ironic that I’m now in risk management.)
If you had $1 million to give, what causes would you support: Helping people in need. We are fortunate to have great resources in the Corridor, but it takes money and people to keep these going. Programs that support the underlying need, not just treating the symptoms.
What’s something people should know about your generation in the workplace: Our generation is between the traditional workforce and Millennials, so we need to be leading while learning from both.
