Born and raised outside Waterloo, Iowa, the middle of six children. Moved to New York after getting her MFA in directing at University of Georgia and spending a few years doing regional theatre in the Midwest. Over the course of the next 10 years in New York, she shot over 300 commercials including a spot for Scope that won the Clio for humor in 1984. After appearing on Broadway in the play, Burn This, with Scot Glenn, she had the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles and filmed a guest star on the film "Absolute Strangers" with Karl Malden and Henry Winkler and a guest star as "Barbara Boyle" on Murphy Brown. Continued to travel to L.A. to shoot pilots including Mars: Base One with Dan Ackroyd and Arly Hanks with Ron Perlman. Lives in Pasadena with her daughter and two dogs.