Beyond board service, how have you engaged with Iowa State and the alumni association since your retirement?
We have traveled frequently with the Traveling Cyclones program. I had great fun taking two of our grandsons to LegaCY Camp last summer and we’ve attended the Cardinal and Gold Gala. My husband, Brent, and I are excited to have partnered with the ISU Foundation to set up a scholarship program for students from Iowa. Our family deeply values higher education — all four of our kids are also ISU graduates — and we know that our degrees from Iowa State University have been an important part of our success in life. We feel called to share that experience with others.
What do you enjoy about ISUAA Traveling Cyclones program?
Travel feeds my sense of curiosity and desire to learn. The Traveling Cyclones trips have allowed me to fly in a four-seater plane and land on a glacier by Mount Denali; talk with Lithuanian women about life under Soviet rule; sip hot cocoa in Croatia by the Adriatic Sea; and climb the Spanish Steps in Rome. I’ve also enjoyed meeting other ISU alums on Traveling Cyclones trips and experiencing new adventures together.
What were some of your favorite theatrical productions you participated in at Iowa State?
I have wonderful memories playing Chava in “Fiddler on the Roof” in CY Stephens, being part of a Shakespeare repertory cast in Fisher Theater, and performing with the Memorial Union Resident Summer Theatre troupe in the Maintenance Shop. I had the opportunity to serve as producer and director of the Stars Over VEISHEA musicals “South Pacific” and “Sweet Charity,” in which we raised revenue to cover not only production expenses but also to help fund VEISHEA open houses on campus.