PARC Branch

I grew up north of Chicago in various towns in both Illinois and Wisconsin. After 3 years in the Army as an Animal Care Specialist in Washington State, I married an Army Captain in 1995 and began my travels across the United States. In 2005 I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland University College (now called Global Campus). I was able to acquire a Master Naturalist certification with the Ohio MetroParks that same year. I was a substitute teacher for Fort Knox schools in Kentucky for a few years before coming back to Maryland to work as a part time Nature Programmer at Fountain Rock Park in 2010. I enrolled in the Master Naturalist course again and attended the facilitator training in 2012 and have been the unofficial coordinator for the course in Frederick County ever since. In 2013 I began the full-time position at Fountain Rock Park & Nature Center that is now titled Nature Center Manager. This is where I was able to put together my combination of skills and education into working with animals, teaching nature to all ages, and improving the natural resources and restore wildlife habitat. I am a lifelong learner and have had the opportunity to delve into many professional classes and certifications (please see resume for details). All while raising 3 amazing children into adulthood. I am currently working on my Masters of Environmental Science at Hood College (this has included a GIS certificate and drone license) and excited to see what comes next.