Age: 36
Occupation: Vice President, Fidelity Bank & Trust
Who are your local mentors: I have a strong mentoring network through my co-workers (especially loan committee members), and my involvement with local organizations, specifically Jones County Economic Development.
What’s the best advice you ever received: Be involved and volunteer in your community. It’s rewarding to help others, and you get to meet so many people, which can build into wonderful friendships.
What would most people be surprised to learn about you: I grew up showing cattle, winning at the local, state and national levels.
What do you know now that you wish you had known earlier in your career: It’s OK not to be perfect – nobody is. Mistakes happen, and they’re not failures as long as you learn from them. Many times you will learn more than you would have if you succeeded. One of my favorite sayings is, “Don’t let success go to your head or failures go to your heart.” If you have success, be humble. On the flip side, if you have a failure, don’t take it personally.
How do you ensure a balance between work and your personal life: I am very fortunate to have a supportive husband and family, and an employer that helps me juggle work and personal life. My husband does more than his fair share around home and with our daughters. At work, we cover for each other when there are family events. Family values are important to me, my boss and my coworkers, which results in a good team.
What’s something people should know about your generation in the workplace: We have some work and life experience, but still realize there’s more to learn from other generations in the workplace. We want to receive feedback and are open to learning how to do things more efficiently. Like everyone, we want to be valued and appreciated.
