Kathy was born and raised in Dakota City, Nebraska where her family has farmed for five generations. Upon graduation from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, she moved to Washington, DC to work for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In 1991, she became the Executive Director of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology and served in that position for 21 years. She oversaw the organization's overall administration and financing, its board and committees, continuing medical education program and accreditation, and the production of its biennial scientific meetings. During that time, she most enjoyed her involvement in ASCCP's organization, oversight, and sponsorship of the nation's first-ever evidence-based 2001 Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Women with Cervical Cytological Abnormalities (i.e., an abnormal Pap), a process that involved 5 committees and 121 voting delegates from the 34 major medical associations and Federal agencies (e.g., ACOG, AAFP, ACP, ACS, NCI, FDA, etc.) and utilized the initial primary research relative to the relationship of human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. The guidelines were subsequently updated in 2006, 2009, and 2012 and from that effort, ASCCP co-authored the 2012 Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines with the American Cancer Society and American College of Pathologists.
In 2017, Kathy joined The Poole Law Group to assist with personal injury case support, mass torts support, and medical and legal research, as well as to administer the firm's website and marketing efforts. She has a special interest in trucking cases.
She and Bruce have been married for 33 years and have one son. Kathy has a Masters in Liberal Studies (Humanities) from Georgetown University and has served in the community as a board member to Meritus Medical Center (2021 - October 2022), the Washington County Free Library (2009-2020 and 2023-present), Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (2013-2019), and C&O Canal Trust (2012-2018). She also enjoys serving in the Micah's Backpack program and participating in the Lake Roland Garden Club (Baltimore).