At the age of eighteen, I got my first dabble into the payroll world working at my church doing the summer camp payroll. Getting to work with numbers and spreadsheets excited me! (I know…kind of weird)

So I go off to college to originally major in Computer Science. Although I enjoyed computer science, something wasn’t making me fulfilled with that major. So I decide to get my degree in Human Resources Management from my beloved alma mater Virginia Tech (Go HOKIES!) Now it’s time to find a job. After several months of applying, a payroll service bureau decides my previous experience with payroll and customer service was enough to start working for them.

That’s where my love of payroll found me again. Since dabbling with summer camp payroll at 18, I go further and explore certifications by gaining my Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) in 2009 and my Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation in 2011. Since then, I have assisted close to 400 coworkers and industry colleagues in successfully obtaining their designations.

So what do I do for the payroll industry today? I’m very involved with my local and statewide payroll chapters as well as the American Payroll Association. I have spoken to over 10,000 payroll experts on the intricacies of payroll, empowering those in the payroll space to never give up and to keep putting your best foot forward, and educating us on the crazy compliance issues that continue to arise.