Biography:

In 1981 I was working as an Evidence Technician at the Santa Rosa Police Department.  I began that job in 1975 after graduating with a degree in Law Enforcement from Santa Rosa Jr. College.  Part of my duties were to dispose of unclaimed property so once a year the city would hire an auctioneer and I would work with him in putting the sale together.  Col. Augie Hinote was the consummate auctioneer.  White hat, southern drawl and always dressed to the nines.  We became great friends and I started working with him on weekends at various auctions as a recording clerk and cashier.   Watching Augie work the crowd was fascinating and I totally fell in love with the art of auctioneering. 

With Augie’s encouragement, I took my two week paid vacation and flew back to Missouri Auction School to learn to become an auctioneer.  It was an extremely intensive and exciting two weeks crammed with classes taught by the best auctioneers in America.   There are several auction schools in the US, but Missouri Auction School is the best.  We had students there from Japan, Australia, Great Britain and from nearly every state in the Union.  There were only about 10 women there out of a class of nearly 200 and I was the only one from California.   After two weeks of tongue twisters, chants, numbers we were given an extensive final test.  I graduated in the top 90%.  It was a life changing experience for me.  Besides conducting my own auctions, I worked with Augie off and on until his retirement, learning even more about marketing, advertising and selling.    I’ll auctioneer as long as I can talk. 

......Besides auctioneering, I have owned and operated the Riverwood Inn in Phillipsville in Southern Humboldt County since 1995.  I am a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Humboldt County Visitors and Convention Bureau.