Thirty years ago I was a very curious young woman just starting in the transportation industry. I asked a lot of questions on how things worked. I was very lucky to have people explain so I could learn and understand. I reached out many times when I was stuck. I read everything I was referred to and anything else I could get my hands on. I learned a lot. As I grew and advanced professionally, I enjoyed helping others and sharing my knowledge.

Now it’s my time to pass on the knowledge and help train our next generation. One of my past supervisors liked to introduce me to customers by saying how much I knew about transportation and trade issues and that I helped the competition. Personally, I did not feel that I was helping the competition. I felt and still feel it’s more like mentoring. It’s the processes, rules and regulations I am helping with. We all need a mentor and I enjoy the satisfaction of hearing, “Thank you so much, now I understand!”

I belong to a lot of volunteer organizations in our industry.

• Chicago Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (CCBFA)
• National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA)
• Customs Electronic System Action Committee (CESAC)
• NCBFAA Educational Institute (NEI)

Volunteering my time to assist and allow others to learn is so rewarding. Volunteering in the writing of programs and regulations that govern our industry allows me to feel involved and know I am making a difference.