The heart and soul of THRIVE are our Community Managers — ringleaders and ringmasters rolled into one. They are here to rock your world, simplify your life, restore your faith in humanity, and basically make your THRIVE experience a bowl of cherries. Minus the pits. Take a moment to meet Storm … and consider bringing her some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
What’s your hometown?
I have many since we moved around a lot when I was a kid. Different towns represent different stages of life for me: Born in Jacksonville, FL; elementary and middle school in Rome, GA; high school in Newbury Park, CA; then San Diego for college.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs — I like the wagging tails.
Cake or pie or cookies?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Most used app on your phone?
The calculator.
Sunrise or Sunset?
Sunset in Pacific Beach, CA — the PB pier on one side, the cliffs of La Jolla on the other.
What’s your musical jam?
Reggae the most, Metallica second.
What song do you want everyone to know?
Sweet Child o’ Mine — what’s not to love?
Have you ever gotten someone’s autograph or a celebrity selfie?
Nah, I don’t understand the signature or celebrity fascination.
Whom do people say you look like?
Pretty memorable being told I looked like Hillary Clinton once while waiting tables in the early ’90s.
What’s your favorite neighborhood shop/restaurant?
I am by no means a foodie but I love our neighbor Fogón and Lions … I find myself thinking about the dishes and their flavors the next morning!
What’s your favorite film?
Gladiator comes to mind as a favorite … also Legends of the Fall (and Brad Pitt’s hair).
Do you have a nickname (and how’d you get it)?
I’m the oldest of seven — my youngest two siblings (in their 40s) still call me “Sis” … maybe my favorite title, besides mom.
Most-prized possession?
The two frames I have of my now-grown kids showing them growing up through the years — there are pics of them each year from kindergarten to high-school graduation. My kids are my biggest achievement.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
The Real Housewives or Vanderpump Rules. Or maybe Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Where’s your happy place?
Riding a beach cruiser from Pacific Beach into La Jolla along the coast in my flip-flops.
What’s your motto or favorite saying?
“That’s ridiculous!” or “That’s hilarious!”
What absolutely excites you right now?
Traveling! We just became empty-nesters so I really look forward to getting out and seeing some things!
What skill do you think it takes to be a great CM?
Listening. I love getting to know members — it’s so fun building and being part of a great community of people.
What’s the least obvious skill do you think it takes to be a great CM?
Being a jack-of-all-trades. Plumber, HVAC tech, gardener, exterminator, tech support — the list goes on and on.
You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but …
I love to snowboard. Actually, Mariellen, the other CM here in Alpharetta, and I used to snowboard together in our 20s in Southern California. We met waiting tables right out of college and spent our free time snowboarding Big Bear in SoCal or Mammoth Mountain.
I am not afraid to …
Scuba dive! I used to work for a scuba diving magazine in San Diego, so I had to get certified. Our boss took us the Cayman Islands for our first open-water dive.
What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
Be present and eat the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
