After attending high school in Riverton, Kristi went to the University of Wyoming, where she graduated summa cum laude with degrees in accounting and Spanish. She accepted a job with the public accounting firm of McGee, Hearne, & Paiz in Cheyenne and shortly after became licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Performing in-depth audits of small Wyoming businesses, nonprofits, and governmental entities gave Kristi a critical understanding of accounting principles, financial statements, internal controls, business processes, and federal funds management. Specifically, she worked on the audits of the State of Wyoming, the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Business Council, and several of Wyoming's community colleges.

As the current Chief Fiscal Officer and Director of Human Resources for Wyoming's judicial branch, Kristi prepares and manages a statewide budget of approximately $80 million. In this role, she monitors and approves payments for the state courts in all 23 counties and oversees the human resources affairs of over 300 employees. As a liaison with the legislature for all financial aspects of the court system, she is familiar with legislative process and has a keen eye for the budgetary issues our state is facing.

Currently, Kristi serves on the State Employee Compensation Commission. She was appointed to the inaugural Government Efficiency Commission in 2017. The work of this commission resulted in legislation during the 2018 session dealing with cost-saving initiatives and streamlining of state operations.

Kristi is proud to serve as Board Chairman for Goodwill of Wyoming, which serves adults with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. She is a past board member of the Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board, Cheyenne Respite, and is a graduate of Leadership Wyoming.

An avid sportswoman, Kristi enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing, and camping. She hunts antelope, deer, elk, and turkey, and had the great fortune of drawing and harvesting a bison and a mountain goat in recent years. She lives in Cheyenne with her husband Torey and their two children, Addie and Theo.