Hello my fellow doll collectors in Region 8: Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. I am just starting as your RD and am very excited. This is a new adventure for me. I retired after 40 years of delivering babies as an obstetrician/gynecologist in 2022 and this has allowed me to devote more time to this hobby that I love.

My late sister started me collecting dolls when I was in my 40s. I never thought I would collect dolls. As a child, we could not afford a chatty Cathy and I found her in a local doll shop in the 1990s. That started me on Ginny dolls and Madam Alexander dolls (who I had never heard of before I started collecting).

My favorite part of doll collecting- in addition to the wonderful people that I meet -is learning the history of dolls.I'd like to consider myself a doll historian. I'm always so amazed how many companies were started by women who had nothing but a dream and built thriving companies: ie Alexander, Lenci, Terry Lee's, Vogue and Xenis. That would have been so difficult 100 years ago. My collection has since spread to composition dolls and now I love cloth dolls and enjoy learning about them. In particular, I love character cloth dolls and I love the artistry of Dorothy Heiser.

I joined the UFC in 2009 and have been to almost all national conventions since then. I have been active in Triple Crown Doll Club since 2009, serving on the nominating committee and organizing many years of Christmas parties. I also organized a doll drive to collect dolls for patients in nursing homes Since 2022.

I also have joined Queen City Doll Club in region 12 and am serving as vice president. I loved helping out at the region 12 conference in Cleveland 2024 and served as the coordinator for meal events. I am a judge at UFDC specializing in composition and hard plastic dolls.I am currently the Co chair for Triple Crowns Doll show in April in Hebron KY and anyone who would like to have a table or would like to come and shop -we'd love to see you! My late husband and I had two boys. In addition to dolls, I am the organist at my church and sing in 2 different choirs.I love scuba diving, mah jongg and taking OLLI classes for seniors at our local university. Please feel free to contact me at any time (I am retired!) and I'm available to come & visit you I would love to get to know as many of my Region 8 members as possible.