An Adventurous Work Life

1968. Airline Attendant. At 21, my protective Midwest family and their plans were suffocating. I quit college, not to run away but to do something fresh. Airline attendants had freedom—an independent life, security in their uniform, and a glamorous profile walking through the airport. It was exhilarating, and I discovered joy in working with people. 

1970. Technologist. Hired as a technical clerk to work in a sea of male electrical engineers, I nagged about equal opportunity until I was trained to become a computer programmer. Twelve years later, I was one of the few female division managers, orchestrating nationwide training, business and computer systems, while earning undergraduate and graduate psychology degrees.

1982. Business Innovator. After smashing my head against the company’s glass ceiling, I left all that was familiar for another adventure. This led to the inspiration for leveraging my technology expertise and psychology know-how to create a novel approach to computer systems and business process design, and workplace culture change.

1988. Intrepid sailor. In 1982, I first stepped onto a sailboat. I was enraptured and my passion culminated in a six-month  timeout from work with an adventure to the Bahamas and back. I learned what I didn’t know and gained the confidence to pursue sailing on my own.

1998. Research professor. The Internet exploded onto the scene, provoking my return to school at age 53. Research and teaching grabbed me. I felt like I had no choice but to teach and demonstrate how the marriage of culture, technology and language can be used to transform the workplace. I taught at Georgetown University and the University of Baltimore after earning my doctorate in 2000.

2010. Chief Information Officer (CIO). One colleague's conversation led to another, and I became the CIO for the global federal agency, Peace Corps. Despite rusty political skills, my IT teams modernized the hardware and systems of the agency’s 65 offices, increasing customer satisfaction.

2015. Seasoned sailboat captain. After retiring, I returned to sailing, owning a 46’ ocean worthy sailboat at 70. And yes, I captained her. Giving up land life, I lived aboard for a year, sailing with a crew of two to the Bahamas before returning home. Nothing has ever tested me more, but I never regret a moment of it.

2020. Author and Blogger. Although much calmer than my previous adventures, today I use my family’s and my own life adventures to create fiction worth reading. I continue to greet each morning with energy and focused drive writing books and blogs.