In Honor of Cyndi

Most of my blogs relate to my time in the military or are tied back to writing Always Forward and Chasing Ghosts. Serving in the Army has shaped most of my life and led me to write military fiction.

But today, I want to share something a bit more personal. This week, I lost someone who played a pivotal role in my finance career and has been there for me for most of my time since leaving the Army. When I first started my banking career, I was grateful to have several extraordinary female leaders to teach me the ways of banking. One of these women pushed me to be a better leader and better human.

Cyndi Cornell-Trobeck was one of my first mentors in banking. She taught me many lending fundamentals and how to lead in the civilian world. She pushed me to be a better manager, and even when we didn't see eye to eye, she was always right in the end.

We worked together for many years, and our friendship grew stronger during that time. I could always count on Cyndi to check in on me, even when we no longer worked for the same bank. And when I was planning my oldest daughter’s quinceañera (15^th birthday celebration), I asked Cyndi to be the ordained minister for the prayer service.

Besides being an outstanding leader at work, Cyndi served her community as the first female mayor and was an ordained minister. She always helped local charities and organizations, volunteering her time to others. She was known for saying, “Go out, and do something good this week,” and she lived by this.

So today, the day she is laid to rest, I can’t help but encourage everyone to live like Cyndi. Serve your community, give your time, and do something good this week. You might be surprised by the positive impact you can have on someone. Go out and do something good this week.