I am an eighth-generation Kentuckian, born in Louisville, but transplanted to Boone County as a three-year old. After graduating from Boone County High School, I headed to college in Richmond, Virginia, where I later met my husband, Mike. We were married aboard the “Annabel Lee” a paddle wheel riverboat on the James River, named for a famous poem by Edgar Allen Poe. Both of our children, Sophie and Colin, were born in that historic city. Neither Mike nor I had family any closer than an eight-hour drive, so within a few years of becoming parents, we acknowledged that it truly does take a village to raise children. We decided to move closer to family and headed back to Kentucky.
When my youngest began school, I wanted to re-enter the workplace. I was hired at BCPL in 2011, where I first worked in circulation at the Florence branch, my childhood library. I’ve always been interested in history, and I soon took notice of the cool projects and programs being done by BCPL’s Local History department (as it was then called.) Destiny was calling and in 2013, I was hired to work in Local History and have been here ever since.
Soon after I started, I began working on a reference request for information about an 1853 escape of enslaved people from Boone County. I had studied Journalism at Virginia Commonwealth University, where I focused on Investigative reporting and editing, so this was right up my alley. I began to dig, and found much more information about Boone County’s Underground Railroad history than was expected, well beyond the 1853 escape. Happily, a single request resulted in multiple projects and programs, some of which are still ongoing.
In addition to research and programs, I really enjoy assisting the public with genealogy research; it’s never boring. My husband once commented that I’m just as interested in other people’s families as I am in my own. He was correct. History and genealogy research boils down to people and stories, which was exactly what drew me to journalism, so it’s a great fit for me. I try to share my enthusiasm in history when I develop programs or write articles. My approach is to look for unusual or untold local topics that may have escaped notice, which I think is always more interesting than repeating what’s already known.
As you may have noticed, I like what I do now, but my career path has been unconventional. Timing is everything and I pivoted from journalism as newspapers began to close and downsize. For a few years, I worked as a bartender and managed a restaurant, which really helps with public service of any sort. I also worked as a production assistant (PA) on several films and commercials for a short time, before getting serious and taking a corporate trainer position, which I did not love. One of my favorite PA gigs was a commercial promoting McDonald’s “Bedrock glasses” that were rolled out for the Flintstones movie. The best part of the job was watching what goes into food photography; it looks good on TV, but I wouldn’t want to eat it. Another interesting film job was a location shoot where a faux building front was “blown up” several times over a few long, hot days. Here’s what I learned: Bruce Willis is a down-to-earth guy, Richard Gere really is short and ear protection is important.
Around the same time, I worked on the set of a full-length music video that ended up with a Grammy nomination. No, I didn’t get to go to the Grammys, but this shoot was where I met my husband. Mike had been a sculpture student at VCU a few years ahead of me and a founding member of the group, who combined a lot of costuming and sets into their “shock-rock” shows. Strangely, this is what brought us together as a couple.
In terms of hidden talents, there have been and still are scads of musicians in my family, they range from hobbyists to pros on both sides of the tree. I sing mostly in my car these days, though I did train for a few years at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and dabbled elsewhere over the years. The music gene passed to my son, who has an amazing ear for music and a rich baritone and my daughter, who picked up the banjo and guitar while earning her degree in vocal music. They have far outpaced my knowledge and skill. I’ve also been known to craft a time or two; jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
From a young age I’ve loved to travel. My brave grandparents took my brother and I across the country in an RV when we were small and we often went tent-camping with my mom. I’m fortunate to have visited eight countries and most of the continental US over the years, but still have along bucket list of trips to take.
One of my most memorable vacations was a family trip to Italy when my kids were both under five. International travel with little ones is a challenge. We spent a few days in Rome where we met seven additional family members and we did all of the tourist things we could fit into our time there.
Our large group then traveled to an agriturismo property outside of the medieval Tuscan village of Montefollonico. Our first night there, we overheard a fight between the wild boars in the area and the large dogs protecting a neighboring villa. I began to worry that my chubby toddler would make a nice snack as I watched him run all over the property, but the boars stayed away. There were many more adventures; it was hectic and fun, full of art, music, food and a little wine.
Last, but never least, I am an animal lover. We’ve had loads of family pets, including: dogs, cats, a guinea pig and horses, both large and miniature. Currently our menagerie consists only of a cat, Flapjack, also known as Baker and Taylor’s “Mr. September, 2024” and Uncle Jed, our 140 lb. Labrador-Great Dane hybrid, who allow us to share a home with them.
