I was born and raised in Decatur County, and my family has lived in Decatur County for several generations.  I graduated from South Decatur High School as Valedictorian in 1989.  During high school, I worked for WTRE covering local news.  Both my grandfather, Ralph Ponsler, and my mother, Jean Reed, had regular shows on WTRE.

      I was a 10 year 4-Her and President of the Decatur County Junior Leaders.  Also, I participated in many 4-H trips representing Decatur County, including Junior Leader Conference, Hoosier Recreation Workshop, and the State Fair Youth Leadership School.  I returned for a second year to the State Fair Youth Leadership School, serving as an Honor Girl, and I served as the youth liaison on the Board of Directors for Hoosier Recreation Workshop.

      From the age of 12, I was active in the Greensburg Assembly of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls.  I was Worthy Advisor of the Greensburg Assembly and served the state in numerous offices, including Grand Representative to New Jersey, Grand Ambassador to the Supreme Deputy, Grand Immortality, Grand Recorder, Grand Faith and Grand Charity.  I received my Majority Degree from Rainbow in 1991, and my daughter was dedicated at Grand Assembly in 2004.

      I graduated from Purdue University in 1993 with distinction and honors.  My bachelor’s degree was in political science and public relations, with minors in Spanish and anthropology.  I then graduated cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs with my law degree and master’s in public administration in 1996. 

      When I returned to Indiana with my law degree, I practiced law with an Indianapolis law firm, Cohen & Malad, PC.  There, I learned a great deal about the actual practice of law, and I gained experience in nearly every area of the law.  I practiced in class actions, bankruptcy, medical malpractice, and other civil and criminal law areas.

      In 1998, I was asked to serve as the Executive Director of the Indiana Republican State Committee.  As Executive Director, I was responsible for administering the statewide voter identification and Get-Out-The-Vote efforts.  I was also instrumental in implementing an electronic statewide voter file on a mass scale, supervising both the creation and execution of the voter database from the state party.  In addition, I was responsible for many special events, including the Republican state conventions and the Indiana delegation activities at the Republican National Conventions.

      While at the Republican State Committee, I began teaching Business Law for Indiana Wesleyan University in both the associate’s and bachelor’s business administration programs.  I taught with Indiana Wesleyan for three years, and then taught a similar course for Butler University as an adjunct faculty member in 2001-2002.

      After leaving the Republican State Committee in early 2001, I opened my own law practice focused on collections, which I have continued until recently.  My collections practice involved representing creditors, generally dentists, athletic clubs, used car dealers, and other medical providers, in recovering outstanding balances owed.  As a solo practitioner, I was responsible for all litigation efforts, all court appearances and filings, all office and employee management, and all financial affairs of the practice.  I managed a staff of six people, including training each of them, and I managed revenues of over $750,000 annually. 

      My family and I moved back to Decatur County in December 2006 and built our home on our family’s farm.  With this move, I decided to sell my collections practice to focus my efforts locally.  Currently, I represent individuals in and around Decatur County in their estate planning and business planning needs.      

  I am admitted to the US Supreme Court Bar and the Indiana State Bar.  I have practiced in state, local and Federal Courts.  Since 2001, I have served as Judge Pro-tem in Marion County on an as-needed basis, hearing cases ranging from landlord/tenant disputes to personal injury to contract issues.  I have also served as a presenter and facilitator for continuing legal education seminars.  In addition, I serve as Vice President of Public Relations for our family business, Heritage Acres, Inc.

     

 I am active on the Board of Directors of the Decatur County Family YMCA and the Carousel Play and Learn Center.  I am a member of the Greensburg Rotary Club where I serve as the Director of International Service and Youth Exchange Officer.  My family and I are members of the Greensburg First Baptist Church and I have served there in the nursery.  I have also served on the Board of Directors for Ambassadors for Children, and as the Executive Director of the Lincoln Roundtable.

      My husband, Tim and I have been married 9 years and we have two children:  Jessica, age 4 and Tyler, born in September 2007.