Spouse Brag

Friends, I am here to spouse‑brag.

I have had the privilege of sharing life with this amazing human for 20 years, and watching her grow as a professional has been its own kind of masterclass. She started in administrative assistant roles in her 20s, found herself through science in her 30s, and spent the first half of her 40s on the front lines of COVID, doing the unglamorous work of making sure our region had the PPE it needed to stay safe.

When that role was outsourced to another city, she refused to let someone else’s decision be the headline of her story. Her work in this community, her deep relationships, and her reputation for showing up did what they always do. They opened the right door at the right time.

For the last two years, she has been learning what it really takes to help run a complex nonprofit, the kind of place where people’s actual lives depend on the work getting done well. And as of tomorrow, she steps into the next phase of her career as the Executive Director of PASO, the Panhandle AIDS Support Organization, which serves people living with HIV/AIDS in the Texas Panhandle through compassionate support, referrals to care, and education that helps prevent the spread of the disease.

Her diligence, persistence, and capacity to grow have carried her into the kind of role she was always built for and always quietly aiming at. She would never brag about any of this herself, so I am doing it for her. My love, you earned this. You were made for this work. I could not be prouder of the grace, steadiness, and grit you have shown at every step along the way. I cannot wait to see what you build next.