Our sales team.

As a licensed funeral director and preneed counselor, I understand the challenges funeral professionals face each day. Some days are extremely difficult while others are extremely rewarding. However, we face each day with enthusiasm and a passion to serve our families when called upon. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Elizabethtown College and earned my associates degree in funeral service arts and sciences from Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. I’ve been involved in several professional programs, including the National Funeral Directors Association’s Professional Women’s Conference and Meet the Mentors, in addition to serving on the Funeral Service Foundation’s Scholarship Review Committee. Prior to joining Homesteaders as an account executive, I was a Homesteaders Leaders Conference qualifier. In 2023, I was recognized as a Homesteaders Rising Star — an award that recognizes an employee who demonstrates eagerness to learn, commitment to Homesteaders and engagement with the company and peers. I live in Lykens, Pa., and enjoy spending time with my husband, John, my son, Garrett, and our four-legged boy, Koda. I’m a skydiver and a daredevil — which includes jumping off the Stratosphere in Las Vegas — and I also enjoy traveling.

I joined Homesteaders because I recognized the company as a premier leader in preneed funding and a valuable asset in providing marketing resources, technical support and training to funeral home owners and writing agents. I am proud to offer my expertise to our funeral home customers so they can leverage these opportunities to succeed. My experience as a funeral director and preneed consultant provides valuable insight for me to help funeral home business owners grow their business through an active preneed program. I provide innovative solutions to everyday challenges. I enjoy working side by side with funeral professionals to promote the value of funeral services to families and provide the tools to offer families the benefits of secure preneed funding.

 My background is in business, beginning when I earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Toledo. I have called Toledo, Ohio, my home for more than 40 years. When I’m not working, I enjoy gardening — I’m a member of the Ohio Master Gardeners — and landscaping, as well as spending time with my children, Kristen, Anderson and Quinn, and my grandchildren.

I started at Homesteaders in 1997 because I know funeral directors are some of the finest people in the world. Working with them every day to help them reach their goals is very rewarding. I enjoy the family atmosphere and how Homesteaders cares has for its employees. The support I’ve received from my colleagues at Homesteaders has been incredible. During my career, I’ve been honored with numerous sales awards, including the Graham J. Cook Account Executive of the Year Award and the Daniel M. Voecks Award for highest annual volume. As an account executive, I help funeral homes educate their client families on the importance of advance funeral planning. I also work in partnership with funeral homes to increase understanding of the value of full funeral service. I firmly believe in preplanning as a way to build relationships with client families and provide a solid future for funeral homes — and I love having the number one preneed company behind me!

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My journey in funeral service began when I was 19, and it’s been a passion of mine ever since. I am a proud graduate of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, and I hold a bachelor’s degree in business management. Before joining Homesteaders, I held almost every role in funeral service. These roles have given me a solid grasp of funeral home operations and marketing. I live in Island Lake, Ill., with my husband, Dave, who is a funeral director and embalmer. We have two dogs, a Quaker Parrot named Prudence, and we look forward to welcoming another rescue dog soon. In my community, I volunteer with Valley of the Kings, a big cat rescue, and Live Like Roo, an organization that supports animals with cancer. On top of that, I ride with the Krewe of Cleopatra during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I’m a Chicago Cubs and Indianapolis Colts fan, and I’m working on completing my Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) membership.

Homesteaders has been serving families for more than 110 years. When deciding to step away from the day-to-day operations of a funeral home, I knew I wanted to work with a professional and highly regarded company. I appreciate Homesteaders’ commitment to the funeral profession and the opportunities it gives me to be innovative. With more than 20 years in funeral service, I bring a wealth of experience to my role. I understand what it’s like to wake up to early morning calls and support families during their most difficult times with compassion. I love working with funeral homes who are looking to try something different. It excites me when a funeral home owner wants to find new ways to reach their communities, whether through events or out-of-the-box ideas. My experience helps me find creative ways to meet the needs of the funeral professionals I serve.

I graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2002, where I majored in marketing and human services. My husband Rodney and I have two great boys, Karter and Jensen, and we live in Eagle, Neb. The boys keep us very busy with the sports they play (tennis, basketball, soccer and golf), but we love to travel, attend concerts, golf and fish at our place in Minnesota. I’ve earned numerous awards during my time at Homesteaders, including the Sales Achievement Award for 13 years, the PartnerPoints Service Award for nine years, Account Executive of the Year in 2010 and 2021, among several others. Most recently, I received the Territory Management Award in 2023.

Homesteaders is such a reputable company, and I was pleased when the opportunity opened up for me with the company. It is a pleasure to work with the great people at Homesteaders and all my wonderful funeral home customers. They provide a career that keeps me challenged and offers great rewards. I have always wanted to help people and working with customers to support community awareness of planning ahead is a great way to do that. I know that we are helping families through their most difficult times. I take pride in the commitment Homesteaders makes to preserving the value of funeral service. I believe I am able to help customers grow their business through the strong community outreach and marketing programs. Homesteaders has the products, tools and resources to help me provide a total-value package to the funeral homes in my service area.

I graduated from Lincoln High School in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2005 and received my LOMA’s Associate, Customer Service™ (ACS®) designation in 2022. For nine years, I worked in retail sales and sales management. Then for four years, I worked as a home and automobile insurance sales associate at Mercer before starting my career at Homesteaders. I live in Des Moines, Iowa, and have three older siblings. In my spare time, I enjoy golfing and snowboarding. I have been snowboarding since high school and love visiting Colorado for snowboarding trips.

A colleague already working at Homesteaders introduced me to the Customer Service Team at Homesteaders, where I spent four years working and learning a lot about our products and processes. The service team was a great transition from familiarizing myself with the company to my current Account Executive role. With my sales and customer service background, I am equipped to help our agents communicate the value of Homesteaders’ products. I take pride in Homesteaders’ service, assisting with a loved one’s final farewell, and I’m excited to use my knowledge and experience to help you!