As Venue Marketing Group’s CEO, and this month’s birthday “It” girl, Tamra FitzGerald is unabashedly proud of her Midwestern roots. Following in the historical footsteps of author Ernest Hemingway and President Harry S. Truman, Tamra joined The Kansas City Star as a cub reporter after graduating from Kansas State University. Today, Tamra has traded editorial deadlines for front page headlines, and manages the business of branding for her well-known clients, including The Gardens Mall, Jupiter Medical Center, 1000 NORTH, and many more. When she’s not producing television commercials or hosting media dinners, Tamra spends time with family and friends; and long weekends in her beloved hometown, Wichita, Kansas.

If I weren’t a CEO, I would be:

A jewelry designer. My dad used to design the most amazing pieces when I was young.

Tamra

One thing no one knows about me:

I’m super shy.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

On my bucket list:

The Four Seasons Resort in Bora Bora.

Moment I knew I had made it:

Ask me on December 1, when Venue celebrates its 30th anniversary!

AriZona Tea

I can’t live without:

AriZona Unsweetened Tea.

Markham Merlot

Signature sip:

Markham Merlot.

Favorite accessory:

Silver cross ring.

Best advice my parents ever gave me:

Pray every day.

Weekend routine:

Walking on the beach, eating breakfast at Flamingo Café, and catching up on work at the office.

The Cooper

Favorite brunch spot:

The Cooper in PGA Commons.

George Clooney

Celebrity crush:

George Clooney (before he was married to Amal!).

Three qualities that got me where I am today:

Faith, honesty, and hard work.

Mother Teresa

Who I admire and why:

Mother Teresa. She devoted her life to living among and serving the poorest of the poor.

Craziest thing I did (or would do) for love:

I’m not really a big romantic.

How I made my first buck:

I worked in a small Lebanese restaurant named Ali Baba when I was 14.

Jennifer Beals

Name of my autographical movie and actress who’d play me:

Just a Girl from Kansas with Flashdance’s Jennifer Beals.

Most cherished keepsake:

A diamond heart necklace my dad designed.

One thing I’m exceptionally good at:

Arranging flowers.

Words to live by:

“Peace begins with a smile.” – Mother Teresa