Name: Kelly Vasbinder
Age: 37
Title: 2020 PANDA Event Chair
Married/Single: Married since 2007 to my college sweetheart!
Kids: Yes! Sweet and sensitive 7-year-old twins named Jamie & Eva and a sweet but spicy 3-year-old girl named Annie.
City you live in: Phoenix! I’m from Scottsdale, but after a 10-year stint in Colorado, the Arcadia area felt more like home
A typical day in my life is…
loud, organized chaos that is fun, meaningful, and sometimes gets away from me!
I was born…
in Arizona, into a family where everyone else was from Chicago and Wisconsin! I’m a proud AZ native, a die-hard Cubs fan, and a lake-girl through and through.
My favorite thing about Arizona…
the sunsets, the fact that patio drinking is available year-round, how it continues to evolve and the people in my neighborhood and surrounding communities.
I’m listening to…
Marco Polos from my co-chairs and PANDA President about PANDA, sponsors, donations, events and how fast our year is flying! And some Lizzo and Elsa.
My family…
is my everything. We worked hard to create it, and I remember that every day. Our extended family is pretty special too, both blood and the friends we’ve made along the way.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…
Judy Blume. I used to write, back when I had the luxury of endless time (my 20s.) I hope to one day write YA novels, and help young adults, just as she helped me laugh and take things a little more lightly but also more sincerely.
One thing I cannot live without…
coffee, water, water, coffee, water, drink/s, water…in that order. I’m kidding. It’s definitely my husband and kids. I also always have to read before I can sleep!
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
a producer! One summer internship in LA changed that and I ended up living in Vail, CO instead, skiing and teaching Language Arts.
I’m inspired by…
stories. I love hearing stories. A deep breath of fresh air and a good view never hurts either.
The one person who motivates me is…
not one, but my three kids. They can always make me smile, happy cry, laugh, and push through when I think I can’t.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be…
I wish more people recycled. I wish medical advancements could move faster. Sorry, that was two, but you’re lucky I stopped there.
The perfect day would be…
a warm but not humid day in Lake Geneva, WI. I would wake up early and go water-skiing on a glass-like lake, with my “bed head” kids watching…then back home for coffee and the perfect fried medium egg on slightly burnt toast. We would walk the dog, and then hang out on the pier all morning. It would rain in the afternoon, which would call for naps on the porch after reading a few chapters of my book under a blanket that isn’t quite necessary. We would take a cocktail cruise with my parents, sisters and my nephews and then wrap the day up with some sort of dinner accompanied by wine and chocolate chip cookies.
My first job was…
I had a lot of different jobs when I was younger, but my first job that actually had a paycheck I could save, was selling tickets for boat tours, and answering the question, “how long is the one hour tour?” at least once a day…“It’s about 60 minutes, Ma’am.”
My favorite escape…
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, or a really great patio/backyard if I’m in a pinch.
My life…
no complaints.
I’m currently working on…
executing an amazing event and year for PANDA, playing on the floor with kids, training our Bernedoodle puppy to be awesome, staying in touch with old friends, thanking my husband for his patience with me, telling my people I love them, maybe squeezing in workouts and taking more deep breaths. One day I’ll organize old photos.
Always…
take the picture.
Never…
buy anything low fat.
Favorite Quote…
“Look at the view, you’ll never be disappointed.”
Biggest Dream…
that my grandkids will have memories with me.
My Pet Peeve(s)…
people who don’t use their turn signals and people who don’t recycle.
