What do you enjoy about the work you do at ASA?

The people I work with and the folks who are part of our great industry.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Spending time with my wife and daughter and our other three demon children (3 female beagles, ages 16, 12 and 7); Watching my daughter pitch and grow up; Also a huge professional wrestling fan.

What inspires/motivates you?

Getting out of bed in the morning. Let’s go.

What is one of your favorite inspirational quotes?

The only person you should try to beat is the person you were yesterday.

What volunteering or passion projects do you do outside of work?

Two-time Nation Chief (retired) for Indian Princesses dad-daughter organization in Chicago suburbs (that numbered 500 members when I ran it)

The best piece of advice I've ever been given is:

Sit in Row 9 on Southwest Airlines planes.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Horseback riding

What is one of your favorite inspirational quotes?

Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.  ~ Steve Jobs

What are your top 3 favorite Podcasts/Books?

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni, Nine Lies about Work by Marcus Buckingham, How Women Decide by Therese Huston

Who would you most like to swap places with for the day? Why?

I would like to swap places with Oprah Winfrey.  She is a remarkable business woman with a wide scope of responsibilities.  I am sure that I would learn several impactful and insightful lessons from a single day in her shoes.

What’s in your coffee?

Liquid happiness

What do you enjoy about the work you do at ASA? 

Engaging with decision makers in business and government to achieve the best possible outcomes and help our industry grow.

If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd immediately sign the back of my ticket and claim my prize!

What would you sing at Karaoke night? 

A heavy rotation of U2 and Sinatra.

If I were a superhero, my superpower would be flying.

What’s in your coffee?

Nothing, I take it black.  

What do you enjoy about the work you do at ASA?

The greatest pleasure I receive from being a part of the ASA team is the opportunity to work alongside our members in advocating for our industry.  ASA is so blessed to have access to the talent, experience and passion our members possess.  Of course, after our members, I cannot say enough about the joy I have each day working with my team members; they are fun to work with and committed to providing the greatest value to our members.

What is one personal or one work related accomplishment that you are most proud of?

With over 40 years of experience I have had the opportunity to achieve many things but to be honest, the achievement I am most proud is the increased brand recognition I have helped to achieve for ASA.  It is a pleasure to represent our industry and to create an environment where our voice is recognized and listened to on important matters impacting our industry.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

To my wife’s satisfaction, I think she likes me getting out of the house, I have taken up the game of golf after a 15 year hiatus.  My game has not gotten any better but the good news is there is significant opportunity for improvement.  In addition, I enjoy a good run, a good book, spending time with my 6 grandchildren and taking a nice long walk with my wife Barb.

What inspires/motivates you?

Working with others who have shared passions and enjoy what they are doing.  Having the ability to do what I enjoy with others that I have built strong and lasting friendships over the years is big motivator.

What’s in your coffee?

Nothing!  Coffee was made to drink black – no cream, not flavored, no latte or whatever.  In fact, there is nothing better than a microwaved day old cup of black coffee.

If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?

John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, & Jack Nicholson (gotta have a little craziness at the table)

What do you enjoy about the work you do at ASA?

Meeting new people, building great connections, and cultivating relationships is what I enjoy most about working at ASA.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

I enjoy spending time with my wife, family, and friends. Out of the many activities I participate in, my top five are; boating, traveling to exciting new places, playing intramural sports in summer leagues, ski/snowboard trips, and eating delicious food!

Where is your favorite vacation destination?

Sydney, Australia

What would you sing at Karaoke night?

It’s My Life – Bon Jovi

What's the most daring thing you've ever done?

High altitude skydiving from 20,000 ft.

What do you enjoy about the work you do at ASA?

I enjoy getting to do something different and creative each day and being able to work closely with every ASA department. It is never a boring day!

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

When I am not working, I am usually drinking coffee while reading a good book or taking my dog on a walk and listening to a true crime podcast.

When I was 5, I was pretty sure I'd be a veterinarian when I grew up.

What’s in your coffee?

Brown sugar oat milk is my go-to!

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

My favorite family holiday tradition is going to our local downtown area with my husband and our dog and watching the holiday lights and decorations turn on while drinking hot chocolate. 

Where is your favorite vacation destination?

My favorite destination is Hawaii. I have visited Maui and honeymooned on Kauai.  Rome, Italy is a close second.

What's the most daring thing you've ever done?

Skydiving, twice.

When I was 5, I was pretty sure I'd be a teacher when I grew up.

What’s in your coffee?

Cream and 1 Splenda

If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?

Any year in the 1980s – the best decade ever 😊

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Taking walks, riding my bike, hanging out with family & friends, traveling, making memories, and meeting new people.

What is one of your favorite inspirational quotes?

Do or do not, there is no try. - Yoda

If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd pay off any debts for myself and my family, buy a nice but modest house with two new cars for my wife and I, take my family and friends on an extended trip around the world, and donate to the American Cancer Society in honor of my mom. I’d probably think about quitting but would ultimately decide against it since I’d miss my co-workers and want to remain humble.

What would you sing at Karaoke night?

From my personal experience… Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey, Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver, or Summer of ‘69 by Bryan Adams. All three are timeless and always crowd pleasers.

What's the most daring thing you've ever done?

Flying a plane or parasailing (for now) but I want to go skydiving.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

I love to sit on the couch with a cozy blanket, a glass of red wine and watch reality TV, but if I’m not doing that… you can probably find me on a United flight traveling somewhere – most likely to Austin, Texas!

What is one of your favorite inspirational quotes?

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25

If you were a pasta shape, what shape would you be and why?

Ravioli – Good looking on the outside but, whoa, what's on the inside is incredible! Just like ravioli, I am full of goodness and my personality is so cheesy!

If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?

Martha Stewart, Gordan Ramsay, Snoop Dogg, and my mother

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

Getting to the bottom of our Christmas stockings to find an orange – my grandfather started this tradition because of the old St. Nicholas story. The tale says that St. Nicholas tossed gold down a poor man's chimney, where it ended up in his daughters' stockings, which were drying by the fire. So now the tradition in honor of that story and the saint is by finding oranges at the bottom of our stockings instead of gold!

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

I love gardening and getting my hands into the dirt! I also love the artistic pursuit of creating lush arrangements with the plants I grow. There is something so calming about working with growing things. Watching something thrive under your care is rewarding!

What inspires/motivates you?

I like working for an organization that allows me to help others be their best selves. Working to educate and improve the skills and lives of others is very fulfilling and motivating to me.

If I were a superhero, my superpower would be to have the ability to control time – just imagine being able to “pause” your Monday morning so you can hit that snooze button again!

When I was 5, I was pretty sure I'd be an astronaut when I grew up. Attending NASA’s Space Camp was my biggest aspiration as a young child – but had to settle for some Nickelodeon Moon Shoes instead (remember those?).

What’s in your coffee?

Just half-and-half. I’m a pretty simple coffee drinker - but I refuse to drink it black!

What do you enjoy about the work you do at ASA?

First, I love that working at ASA feels like a family. Second, since I am the Program Development Manager / Instructional Designer, I enjoy working with the training content and being involved with strategy setting for how to make our training content more impactful for our members. Then, being able to put the strategies in motion. I’ve only been with ASA since November 2021, so I feel there is much opportunity to adapt courses for current learner needs. That thought is very exciting!

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

RELAXING would have to be on the top of the list. Beyond that, I enjoy working in my flower gardens in the summer. I love the challenge of getting them to grow (I’ve killed many plants) and enjoy the beauty of the shape and colors (of the ones that actually grow). I do enjoy playing a few mindless video games to unwind (Candy Crush Friends, Solitaire, Woodoku, and Ticket to Ride are my current go-to’s). I enjoy watching my kid’s sports. My daughter plays tennis (she just graduated high school) and my son (high school junior) plays golf and hockey (he is a goalie, which can be so stressful for a mom to watch! I also enjoy simply going for walks.

Where is your favorite vacation destination?

I know that people travel all over the world to glamorous and beautiful destinations, so I’m going to talk about an awesome vacation destination near to where I live – that being Door County, Wisconsin. I love going to this area in the thumb of Wisconsin. The views of Lake Michigan on one side of the peninsula and the bay on the other are beautiful and ever changing. There are so many activities to enjoy like hiking, boating, golfing, and swimming; to picking cherries, going on a winery tour, shopping in quaint local shops, or simply relaxing and enjoying nature or a stunning sunset.

What’s in your coffee?

The more appropriate question to ask for me would be “What’s in your tea?” And the answer to that would be fresh squeezed lemon, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a bit of grated ginger, and a swirl of cranberry infused honey. Pure joy!

How would your friends describe you?

The answer to this would depend on who the friend is! I have some friends that would say I’m humorous, fun, witty and simply a good person to be around. Others might say quiet and kind. Others athletic and competitive.  Still others may say “Kathy who? I haven’t heard from her in a while!” LOL. 😊

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Fishing, hunting, & spending time with my nieces

What would you sing at Karaoke night?

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond – always gets audience participation 😊

When I was 5, I was pretty sure I'd be a Chef when I grew up.

What’s in your coffee?

Carmel Macchiato coffee creamer

If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?

Frank Sinatra, my Grandfathers, & Lucille Ball (all passed away)