Looking back, the path Janet and I took in life was a true blessing. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me and taught me how to live in the Christian faith, raising me in rural Nebraska. I spent a lot of time exploring the creeks and rivers of Nebraska, hiking, and camping many weekends. The love of the outdoors led me to South Dakota State University where I studied Parks Management and received a bachelor’s degree. I was hired by South Dakota Game Fish & Parks as a Park Ranger/Game Warden and worked out of Newton Hills State Park. Learning the ropes of Law Enforcement led me to the South Dakota Highway Patrol where I was a drug canine handler for 8 years.

My passions outside of work include hunting, boating, playing tennis and working on our acreage. I spend most of my weekends outside regardless of the weather with my German Shephard/Lab mix, Theo. 

My Thrivent career started when I was recruited by a friend in the industry that also used to be a State Trooper. We have since built a team and call ourselves Clarity Wealth Consultants.

Janet and I were married in 2001 and have four teenage daughters. People always comment on how different they look as they all have different colors of hair. We spend most of our time at volleyball, basketball, and soccer games. On the weekends in the summer, we spend our time at the lake on our boat. We have a family lake cabin on Lake Poinsett in South Dakota. We have been taking some great family vacations over the past several years to places like Cuba, California, Texas, Florida, and an RV trip in 2020 to 14 different states. 

Janet and I have worked together at Thrivent for many years and enjoy every minute of it. We have built many relationships around trust and accountability. We have many more years to continue this practice and are looking forward to every moment.   

I grew up on an acreage near Canton, South Dakota, in a family that taught me hard work and integrity. Following high school, I attended Augustana University where I studied business and pursued my interest in music by playing flute in the Concert Band. After graduating with a degree in Accounting and Business Administration, I worked in the investment industry doing accounting and performance analysis of investment portfolios.  

After we had four daughters and Mark became established at Thrivent, we saw the opportunity for me to use those skills in the office while also managing the busy schedule of a family of six. This arrangement has been a huge blessing for our family. I really enjoy the details and organization of overseeing the managed brokerage accounts. My work is mainly behinds the scenes, but I enjoy meeting the clients when I have the opportunity. 

Attending the girls’ events and spending time with family are my favorite things to do outside of work. At Peace Lutheran Church, I’m involved with the confirmation program, and I also get the opportunity to play my flute occasionally. A weekly Bible study provides fellowship and helps me grow in my faith. I’m an avid reader and especially enjoy historical fiction. I took up running as an adult and enjoy the challenge of training for and running races. I try to run a couple half marathons each year, and I’ve completed two full marathons. I ran the Twin Cities Marathon twice, once in 1999 and then twenty years later in 2019. I hope to run some destination races in the future.

I have been part of the team at Clarity Wealth Consultants since 2017, but my first connection to Thrivent goes back to becoming a member when I was a child. Later, as an adult, my husband and I became clients and now I am the first face you see when you enter our office.

I was born a-world-away in Papua New Guinea where my parents, an agriculturalist, educator, and missionaries, said they found me floating down a river in a coconut shell. My roots run five generations deep in family farming in rural South Dakota, however; I am proud of my Norwegian heritage. I attended school in Webster, SD followed by Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. My calling to encourage and equip others started with leading the Big Brother/ Big Sister program during college years and continued to include many volunteer leadership roles. Highlights have been my service to Bible Study Fellowship and working with the Lincoln High School band and Oral Interp Team.

I also have a diverse background of work experience ranging from Marketing Coordinator for the Helpline Center and Director of Development for the Center for Family Medicine, to developing a tutoring program for an elementary school in North Carolina and working for a church. I consider myself a passionate creative with superpowers in communication. In addition to a friendly greeting, my daily work at Clarity Wealth Consultants includes office management, assisting clients as needed, and handling our social media and special event planning.

Personal interests include cooking and writing. At home I’m affectionately referred to as “Mother Hubbard” because I can make something delicious out of anything that’s in the cupboard! I enjoy Tai Chi classes, hiking and gardening. I have always had a love of animals and my dog, Toby, and I are a Therapy Dogs International certified team who visited hospice patients/families at Ava’s House for five years before I retired him from service. I also have a Siberian kitten named Shadow, who purrs like a diesel truck, fetches his favorite toy mouse, and plays like a parkour master.

Thomas (my 100% Danish husband) and I were married in a country church in 1989 and have two adult children. Our daughter and her husband, Hannah and Ben, live and work in Utah where they regularly enjoy the great outdoors. Our son, Kristian, bases out of New York City and is often traveling as a vocal performer. Thomas and I enjoy traveling whenever possible. We have been to many places near-and-far and are particularly fond of South Dakota’s Black Hills and whale watching in Hawaii. Sioux Falls has been our home for more than 27 years.  

I grew up on a grain farm outside of Albert Lea, Minnesota along with a herd of cats, a few dogs, and my three older siblings.

Once I graduated high school I attended my father’s Alma Mater, South Dakota State University. I completed my degree in Consumer Affairs with a specialization in Family Financial Management and a minor in Financial Counseling. My degree allowed me to learn more about the financial tools available to an individual and the different emotions that can come with this topic.

I found my way to Thrivent through a summer internship with another company. I was connected to this office right before my graduation and was beyond excited to accept my dream job. You may see me in your meetings as I am continuously learning and growing to become a Certified Financial Planner. I have a driving passion to help clients through their financial goals and putting the pieces all together.

When I am out of the office, I like to fill my time with family and my cat, Nala. Growing up on the farm, my siblings and I are all very close. As adults we get together virtually every week to enjoy some board games online and spend as much quality time with each other as we can. Nala and I enjoy trips to nearby parks, sitting on our deck soaking up the sun, and frequent road trips to visit family across the country. I have also been fortunate enough to explore different cultures and historical sites during my school trips to Europe and Costa Rica.

I enjoy playing and teaching tennis. I started playing in 8^th grade when I moved schools, fell in love with the sport and played through my senior year of high school. I have started teaching beginners on my own time, so you may often find me on the courts throughout the year. 

I was born in Kremmling, a small mountain town in Colorado. The next 32 years of my life had my family living in a slightly larger town called Greeley. During this time, I attended the University of Northern Colorado, where I graduated with a degree in Social Science with an emphasis in Education and minors in Psychology & Sociology.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I married Jed, a high school friend who was partnering with a couple of ranchers who owned a domestic elk ranch in Platteville, CO. We bred elk and harvested their antlers during the velvet stage to make capsules for medicinal purposes. Along with ranching, Jed started coaching football at my Alma Mater, UNC, which has led us on our current path we travel today. A couple of years after marriage, God blessed us with a son, Gunner, and two years later, a daughter, Gracie.

Due to the nature of collegiate coaching, we left Colorado and over the next 10 years lived in Kansas, Nevada, and South Dakota. While in South Dakota I was introduced to Thrivent by a friend and, in 2015, was given the opportunity to join Clarity Wealth Consultants as an Office Professional. After two years of working in the office, coaching once again relocated us to St. Charles, Missouri, where I continue to work remotely for our office out of Sioux Falls.

In my current role I manage our calendar, schedule meetings, and get to visit with our clients. I genuinely care about them and enjoy getting to know our clients and their families better through each phone conversation.

Now that both of our kids are college athletes, Jed and I keep busy following them around. Gunner plays golf for MidAmerica Nazarene University near Kansas City and Gracie is a basketball player at Truman State University in Kirksville, MO, both within three hours from us. 

We also enjoy hosting team dinners throughout the year for the football players, and the coaches and their families. We volunteer with several organizations in our area including Operation Food, Chef Nesee Catering, St. Louis Area Foodbank, and Urban League of St. Louis to supply food for the homeless and backpacks/meals for kids. In addition to that we love playing golf at our local course, traveling to Colorado to see family, sitting on a beach in Mexico with friends, and taking walks with our dog, Tebow.