Katie grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and despite the fact that she briefly lived in France and spent a few fabulous years in Atlanta, she somehow always suspected that she would return to her treasured (but often picked-upon) hometown. Katie graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and another in French.

She went on to earn her teaching certificate in both of these subject areas in grades seven through twelve. Katie also studied at the Institute of European Studies in Nantes, France, where she taught English conversation classes to secondary French students. Katie spent her first year teaching French to students in grades seven and eight for the Baltimore County Public School System in Maryland. She then accepted a position teaching at Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware, where she spent four years teaching English and French to students in grades seven through ten. She also coached the Sanford Swim Team straight into their losing-est season ever.

After spending most of her life inside a classroom, Katie decided to roll the dice and see what life was like outside of it. In 1996, she accepted a position to work for the American Committee for the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Her dream job of translating French in the 1996 Olympic Games turned out to be more on par with waitressing, and the only French she spoke was telling reporters where the “Toilettes” were located. Aah…such big dreams, such little glamour.

After her ill-fated Olympic Career, Katie decided to head for corporate America, trying her hand at Marketing and Corporate Training at a large financial institution in Atlanta. After several wonderful years in Atlanta, Katie requested a transfer back home to Delaware, married a wonderful man from Boston (whom she had to move to Atlanta to meet) and settled happily back into her hometown in May of 1999. In Wilmington, Katie continued to work for the same financial institution for which she had worked in Atlanta. After giving birth to her twins, Patrick and Grace in 2004, Katie joined the lawfirm of Bifferato LLC, where she works in Public Relations and Internal Education.

• No one knows my true height and I am determined to keep it that way. When at all possible, I wear high heels and have never been spotted in public nor in my own home in bare feet.
• I am a sandwich queen. I love making them and have a minimum condiment requirement of at least three spreads. I love big juicy Italian subs and any sandwich that has multiple layers. Dry deli meats and grainy wheat bread need not apply.
• I love reading books of all kinds and hope to write one myself some day. My friends are always on the lookout for the perfect book-reading-flashlight for me as I love to read myself to sleep.
• I spend way too much time on the phone but I love keeping in touch with my friends and family. I am pretty sure my husband is close to ripping our phone out of the wall.
• I love the beach, any beach – favorite time of day on the beach is 5 p.m. with a frosty cold corona and nice ripe lime.
• The first concert I ever attended was the Michael Jackson Victory Tour. Later that same year, I went on to win first prize in a dance contest, using moves straight out of Michael’s “Thriller” video. To this day, people still make fun of me for that, but I’m pretty sure it’s because no one can moonwalk like me, baby!
• I can never leave my hair alone and am constantly trying to find the perfect shade of “brown with blond highlights.” This leads to a ridiculous amount of over-processing, haunting numerous local salons, and making my friends want to tear their own hair out if they have to listen about mine anymore.
• I am obsessed with music – all genres. It would be impossible to try to nail down my tastes if you got hold of my IPOD. Shakira shows up before Shawn Colvin and after Toby Keith. Go figure.
• I really like exercising but I am downright streaky about it. Just when I go for a few weeks straight of working out, I somehow lose my mojo and can then go for weeks without darkening the doorstep of a gym. I’m working on this.
• I think being a good listener is one of the most attractive traits in a human being. I try every day to work on this skill.
• I eat too much chocolate and I drink too much diet-pepsi. I also know the average wait-time at all fast-food joints in the tri-state area, but I’m really working on that one too.
• I am a worrier. I worry about pretty much everything. I wish it were in my genetic make-up to be laid-back and super-chill, but so far I have not found this to be the case. Ever.
• I want another baby very badly and have no idea yet how I am going to make this happen. But Brave Chicks get things done, so don’t count me out yet!
• I love to cook and have been doing it more and more lately. I’m pretty sure my three-year old twins could master most of my recipes, but give me some time and I’ll get there.
• I like to say what’s on my mind the moment it enters my mind. I like to look people right in the eye and tell them when they have done something that moves me. Sometimes it’s a little awkward, but I like to do this anyway.
• I talk to my parents and sisters every day of my life. This might be excessive for a woman approaching middle age, but I couldn’t bear it any other way!