Personal & Mission Statement
By joining the leadership of the German-American Heritage Foundation, my goal is to firmly establish GAHF as the premier resource for German culture in the U.S., highlighting and fostering awareness of German influence and contributions to American society, while ensuring a sustainable financial future for GAHF.
Through broader outreach and partnership with a robust network of German-oriented organizations across the U.S., my vision is to bring German-Americans together to celebrate our shared heritage – and “the German” in each of us! The 50th anniversary of the GAHF in 2026 is an exciting milestone that coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and is an opportunity to elevate the role German legacy has played in making the U.S. the country it is today.
My background uniquely suits me for the Treasurer role at GAHF. As a dual citizen, my interests in German and Finance are interwoven throughout my life. I was born in Germany (Hannover) and raised in California by German-speaking parents (Austrian father, American mother of Swiss ancestry). I have worked in finance almost my entire career, including banking roles in Frankfurt and Munich. I received a minor in German at U.C. Berkeley, where I majored in business administration, and an MA in International Studies from The Lauder Institute alongside an MBA in Finance at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
On a professional level, I am currently on the finance team at publicly-traded Five Below, where I lead communication of our financial results and strategic objectives to investors, and have also managed Treasury operations, including about $500 million of cash. Personally, I live near Philadelphia with my husband and two cats, and I am a member of the German Society of Philadelphia. I volunteer as a board member for the Philadelphia chapter of Wharton, and I previously served as Treasurer for the Philadelphia chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute. I would be honored to bring my experiences to serve as Treasurer of GAHF.