She has a BA degree in math from Kalamazoo College, in Kalamazoo Michigan and additional accounting coursework from Montana State University for CPA accreditation. In 1992, after passing the CPA exam, she worked for the City of Bozeman in its tax department and in 1993 she started her own firm. At that time she was one of the few CPAs who specialized in the use of QuickBooks accounting system as applied to small businesses. She has taught this accounting program to business owners and their bookkeepers in numerous seminars in Bozeman and for the College of Great Falls.