Originally from Portugal, I somehow ended up in Wisconsin. Still trying to figure out how this happened! I am married to an Irish American from Boston and have two wonderful girls - a tween and a toddler.

The good news is that I do love the Midwest, the culture, the mentality and the ethics. GemEx Systems, where I work and deal with the image, branding, graphics and message, is no exception to that Midwest way of life, and here is a good example. Not long after moving to Wisconsin I came in for an interview and right away noticed the values and ethics of the people working here. Every person who interviewed me was down to earth, straight forward and very welcoming.

Within a month of working I discovered I was pregnant. Now imagine my scare, starting a brand new job and having to tell them, guess what? Well I will never forget Randall Wagner's (the CEO of GemEx Systems) reaction. Ok, so are you happy? To which I responded yes but I feel bad, I just started here. Then he followed with are you thinking in coming back to work after the baby? Of course my answer positive and that is exactly what happened. He and all my other colleagues were very supportive.

I must admit that prior to working for GemEx I was not one of those women who would be wowed by diamonds. But I must admit that apart from having learned a lot about the diamond industry, jewelry and the diamond per se, I find myself looking at someone's diamond ring when shopping around, or when I participate in my daughter's school functions. I did not know much how diamonds were graded, yet thanks to GemEx technology all I notice now is the beauty of the diamond. After all... why do people buy diamonds? Don't they want it to be beautiful, shine, sparkle and be bright? Don’t they want it to be noticed?

I spend my free time playing and dancing with my girls, doing house renovation or working in the yard with my husband and cooking. I love to cook and entertain. I do enjoy football and root for the Steelers at our house. I love soccer and cannot wait for the World Cup to start.