A native of San Diego, California, and a 1994 graduate of Northern Arizona University, she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology, and received her commission through Officer Candidate School. Additionally, she graduated with a Master of Science Degree in Information Systems and Operations from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), and was selected to lateral transfer as a Cryptologic Warfare Officer.
As a Surface Warfare Officer, she served on USS BLUE RIDGE (I-CC 19) as the First Division Officer and Navigator, and on USS KINKAID (DD 965) as the Combat Information Center Officer and Navigator. As a Cryptologic Warfare Officer, she continued to assignments at U. S. Naval Security Group Activity Yokosuka, Japan, Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Maryland/CTF 1060 as a Department Head and Executive Officer, and commanded NIOC San Diego/CTG 1030.2.
Staff tours include the National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) Director's Staff, the Navy Fellow for the NSA/CSS Director's Fellowship Program, and Chief of Naval Operations Staff in N2N6 and N80. She also deployed as Officer-in-Charge in a Counterterrorism Intelligence Fusion Cell supporting sensitive operations in the CENTCOM Area of Operations, and subsequently selected to serve as a Subject Matter Expert for Counterterrorism for the NSA/CSS.