Alumni and married couple Jeff and Kristy Emerson are both accomplished healthcare professionals who were brought together by CMU
The first thing you notice about Jeff and Kristy Emerson is that they laugh. A lot.
“There is a lot of laughter. That’s for sure,” said Jeff. Kristy quickly reaffirms that fact and then states, “We’ve had two fights in the last 15 years. One was over what pizza to order, and one was over directions.”
With this generous nature, it’s no wonder that both are in the healthcare field.
The two met on a blind date after being persuaded by two separate, mutual CMU friends to give it a try. Both Jeff and Kristy were enjoying their alone time and weren’t really looking for a relationship but that changed after their first encounter. They had their first date in January 2015, were engaged in August and married by November. Their first holidays together were as a married couple.
Their successful marriage is only matched by their successful careers. Jeff is a 1996 mass communication and broadcasting graduate. His pathway to the healthcare field began with Rocky Mountain Health Plans before he moved on to SCL Health, where he is now an administrator with St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Center.
“Can I brag on my wife for a second?” interjects Jeff. “There was a time when she was a CMU faculty member, an alumna and a student in the nursing program all at once.”
Kristy received her bachelor's degree in human performance and wellness from CMU in 2001. After completing her master’s in public health and working in local public health for 13 years, Kristy earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing at CMU and went on to work at St. Mary's and St. Mary’s Family Medicine.
Although she continues to teach for Department of Kinesiology, Kristy’s impressive resume has earned her a instructor of nursing position at CMU too. She prides herself on challenging her students to focus their course content into real-world situations.
Their children Calvin and Parker regard the college campus as their backyard.
“Both of them began life with Little Mavs,” said Kristy. The family’s schedule is around many of the Maverick’s sporting events and you will often see them in the stands.
The second thing you notice about Jeff and Kristy is the positive dynamic between the two of them, which they bring to all aspects of their personal and professional life.