Divorced & Very Independent- Mom to a Maltese, as well as a rescue cat and dog
- Digital Marketing & PR Consultant
- Breast Cancer Survivor
- Christian
I was born in The Netherlands in the very early 70’s and when I was 6 we moved to Shelby, NC, which will always be called the best place to grow up and my Home!
I attended Shelby High School for a year and then went to Salem Academy in Winston-Salem, NC for boarding school. I stayed in Winston-Salem to attend and graduate from Wake Forest University with a double-major in Economics and Politics. I got engaged to my college boyfriend at 22, and married and divorced young.
My ex-husband and I lived in Raleigh, Phoenix and Atlanta, but moved to the DC area in 1998. After my divorce and 9/11, I was inspired to give back to the community. I started out volunteering through DC Cares, joined the Junior League of Washington and got involved with the Corcoran Museum of Art. I became a bit of a “charity addict,” serving on numerous boards and host committees, and volunteering with or partnering with many national and local charities including American Red Cross, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Heart Association, Fight for Children, Bright Beginnings, CentroNia, House of Ruth, Campagna Center, Susan G. Komen and the Board of Advisors to the AmeriCorps NCCC.
After building a strong career foundation in administration for several Fortune 500 companies, I discovered my passion and natural gift for marketing and PR in my volunteer work. I enjoyed the entrepreneurial creation of new events and charities such as Blondes vs. Brunettes (now RivAlz), a third-party powder puff football fundraiser which has raised $6M+ for Alzheimer’s Association; and Fashion for Paws, a third-party fashion show fundraiser which has raised more than $3M for the Washington Humane Society (now Humane Rescue Alliance).
In 2006, I co-founded a 501c3 nonprofit, The Courage Cup which used to host one of the East Coast’s largest grass polo matches and supported at-risk youth with education. In 2010, the charity began doing business as Courage for Kids and gave thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies to homeless and at-risk children starting kindergarten.
In 2008, I left corporate America, and started working for myself. I launched my marketing consultancy and AskMissA.com, a personal blog which grew into a site with 700 writers and millions of readers annually. In 2015, I decided to focus on my marketing consulting practice and shut down my website.
I was in the nation’s capital for over 20 years and loved it! After my breast cancer surgery I decided to move back home to North Carolina. I dissolved the nonprofit to better focus my work for at-risk children through supporting Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland County.
Hobbies include:
- Reading
- Fundraising & Volunteering
- Walks & Hikes with my Dogs
- Gardening
- Tennis
- Discovering New Beauty & Skincare Products