Answer Midwest Employee Spotlight: Jen
At Answer Midwest, we love serving our clients! We uphold a strong attitude of always serving the client to the greatest extent of our abilities and making sure that all of their needs are fulfilled. Our exceptional, talented, and expert staff members always do a fantastic job in serving the clients we have, no matter what time of the day or night. Our Employee Spotlight this month is definitely no exception when it comes to helping clients! This month, we’re pleased to feature Vice President Jen!
Jen has been with Answer Midwest since 1991 and started as an operator in her college days. Since then, her responsibilities have kept increasing each year until 2001 in which she became a partner of Answer Midwest. Now she’s the official Vice President of the company. “Of course, I do a little bit of everything,” Jen said. “While I am officially responsible for accounts payable and most anything relating to finances, I also oversee and have my hand in everything else from human resources to technology to doing dishes and taking home towels to wash. That’s the joy of working in a business that you care so deeply about – you do whatever needs to be done.”
Jen and her family moved frequently when she was growing up, which gave her an incredible opportunity to live in several states and cities. “I had a fantastic childhood and was able to experience living in Florida, Kansas City, Denver, and Illinois,” Jen noted. “I developed friendships and memories all along the way. I have pretty amazing parents who have loved and nurtured me all along the way and taught me to be a responsible adult. I am so thankful that they didn’t just give me everything I wanted but made me realize the value of work and the importance of being a person of integrity.”
It wasn’t until her grandfather passed away that her family moved back to the Godfrey area to live close to her grandmother. “After getting married in 1994, my husband and I lived in Missouri for 13 years,” said Jen. “We’ve just recently moved back to the Alton area to be around family.”
Jen graduated from Greenville College, a small Christian college located in Greenville, Illinois. “I dearly loved going there,” said Jen. “It was like living in Mayberry – just my style.”
After Jen graduated college, she received her series 7 license and spent several years working at Edward Jones on the trading floor. “I learned very quickly that that is just not my style – I am an easy-going person and not a fan of high stress,” Jen remarked. “It was clear to me that working here in the family business would allow me to take the values that I held and build a company around them, and I have been able to do just that.”
Jen thoroughly enjoys what she does at Answer Midwest, but she truly loves working with people and finding opportunities to help them. “I love being able to help a client who needs advice or who is looking for ways to improve their business,” Jen said. “I also love my coworkers. They really make coming to work each day a pleasure!”
Jen is happily married to her husband and will be celebrating their 20th anniversary next month. They have two children, Truman and Ellie. “I know I’m biased, but they are without a doubt the best kids ever,” Jen beamed. “I always tell them I want to be just like them when I grow up.”
Whenever Jen isn’t busy helping clients, she enjoys decorating her home and spending time with her family. “I’m honestly not sure what free time is, but I love what I do, so it all feels like fun to me!” she said.
Want to know more about Answer Midwest? See what we can do for you! Call us at (618) 463-9093