Growing up in small-town of Heibronn, Germany, just north of Stuttgart, Petra spent most of her free time outdoors, running around in the nearby woods. She fondly remembers her father taking her going to job sites and teaching her about construction techniques. As a young adult, she married a soldier in the US Army and moved to the United States. Army life provided
Petra with the opportunity to experience the life and culture in various locales around the United States.
Petra received her college degree at the University of Maryland and later received her master’s in Clinical Psychology. This gave her the foundation for the “people management” skills she’s used throughout her career.
She has had a varied career starting with working in the drug rehabilitation field and as a Case Manager in neurological rehabilitation. She found this work highly rewarding as she was able to watch individuals recover and assist their families throughout the recovery process. She left this type of work and started in the camping/RV world working with companies such as Travel Resorts of America. She started with Ocean Canyon Properties as a housekeeper and then became Activities Director. She left OCP but was so valued that when the Operations Director heard she was back in the area in 2017, he pursued her for months until she finally came to Abita Springs as Resort Manager.
She finds the best thing about her job is planning projects and improvements and seeing them come to fruition. One of her most recent projects was removing the deck around the pool and replacing it with stained concrete. It’s become one of the centerpieces of the resort. Her other joy in working at Abita Springs is teaching newcomers about the local food, people and music. It is an experience unique to the area.
When not at work, Petra keeps busy with reading, hiking, yoga and boating. Her hobbies include knitting and crocheting which she learned in school in Germany. She also enjoys spending time with her daughter, Michelle, and stepdaughter, Dominique – even if it is remotely. One of her favorite activities is playing games on Zoom with her 3 grandkids. When she is ready to retire, Petra and her Beaux plan to travel. Her wish is to make it to Australia someday.
