What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

My first job after graduate school was an internship in the Executive Office of the President Library. I had a number of duties including general reference support. The library was automating information about its periodical collection at the time (1981) and I helped with that. I also designed an automated tracking mechanism for the public appearances of cabinet members, what they would be speaking about, that sort of thing. I got to help with real life applications of what I had been learning in school, that information retrieval concepts could apply to anything, not just books.

What inspired you to choose your current field or the position you currently hold?

I am lucky in that I can take a pretty broad view of my skill set and where I might be able to apply it. So after my internship, I started looking for a job that was not a traditional library job. I joined a company that developed bibliographic databases for the first generation of online information retrieval systems. We indexed and abstracted the Federal Register and the Congressional Record, and we made the information available in both printed and electronic formats. My career just evolved from there, moving through a software company to Ernst and Young as a senior manager in its IT consulting practice to Fannie Mae in 1992.

Why would you encourage other women or young women and girls to choose careers in your field? What advice would you give someone who wanted to choose your career?

I would encourage anyone with an interest in applying strong analytical skills to complex problems to look at careers in information technology. My route was a nontraditional one through an MLS, but that is changing with new curriculums in the library schools. Business degrees and MBAs with an IT concentration are another route. Another is a liberal arts degree with analytical and programming skill development.

What motivates or inspires you on a daily basis in your field?

I am motivated by challenge and achievement. My job at Fannie Mae provides the opportunity for both.

What do you see as the single most interesting element of your work?

The capabilities of the new generations of technology are unbelievable. Finding ways to apply them appropriately is the real challenge. Also, I am constantly amazed learning how different people approach different problems; what their thought processes are, how they see their jobs structured, and how information requirements fit into those models.

Why is your field or industry important to society?

Fannie Mae's mission is to provide mortgage financing to low and moderate income borrowers. At the same time we are the largest financial institution in the world. We are important to the capital markets in the largest sense and at the same time we are equally important to the individual borrowers who want to own their own homes. I feel very fortunate to work for a company with such an important mission, that at the same time is so successful.

What is your vision for your industry's or field's future? What are some of the exciting things to watch for in your field?

The most visible trend in mortgage finance is automation of the home loan origination and underwriting process. A lot of work is being done to reduce the amount of time it takes to get a mortgage and to reduce the cost of the process for the consumer. We also want to be able to support the changing housing needs of consumers as their lifestyles change.

What values are the most important to you and what do you value in others? How do you prioritize these values in your field or industry?

I value a strong work ethic, an interest in seeing things through, and intellectual curiosity. These don't just apply to work, they apply at home as well. They don't need to be prioritized. I think they are complementary.

What do you think are the most important character traits to develop in order to succeed professionally?

It's important to maintain objectivity as much as possible. You should know what is driving a particular reaction or decision and actively choose a direction. This doesn't preclude passion for a cause, it just requires a short pause before reacting.

Who is your hero, mentor or person you most admire and why?

No special person, there are many people throughout my life at home, at school, at work, and elsewhere who have taught me along the way. I admire them all.

What is your favorite book and why?

I don't have a favorite book but there are a lot of writers that I like. Most of them are very good with description and surprising content. Colette, John McPhee, the poet Mary Oliver are a few.

What book would you recommend to someone who knows nothing about your field or industry but would like to know more about?

For someone interested technology development overall I would suggest "Soul of a New Machine" by Tracy Kidder. The technology development recounted in that book is now old, but the process that the engineers went through to deliver their product is current, just accelerated and magnified.

For someone interested in the technical aspects of making data and information available and usable, I would recommend reading a year's worth of the magazine "Database Programming and Design" published by Miller Freeman.

What technology has changed your life professionally or personally for the better?

Professionally, online information services that keep me up to date with technology and housing finance are particularly useful. Personally, I am very fond of hot running water.

What are your future goals?

I would like to participate in some of the public policy debates about dissemination of information and access to technology that the growth of the Internet and the growth of actual information are spawning. Also, I'm interested in techniques for developing knowledge workers who understand the tools available to them in the workplace. These two areas have similar themes.

What do you do to relax?

I spend a lot of time working in my yard. My husband and I like to ride horses, so we take ranch vacations once a year. I'm a movie fan and try to go at least every other week. I also like magazines and read "Entertainment Weekly," "Atlantic Monthly," "Fast Company," "Cook's Illustrated," "Sports Illustrated," a pretty wide variety.