A lifelong North Carolinian, Kristen was born and raised in Brevard, North Carolina. She attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro earning a BA degree summa cum laude in 1998 then law school at Wake Forest University where she was a recipient of the Wake Forest University Law Faculty Scholarship. Kristen has served as a law clerk for two federal bankruptcy judges – the Honorable J. Craig Whitley of Charlotte, North Carolina and the Honorable Thomas W. Waldrep, Jr. of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Since 2001, Kristen has concentrated primarily on bankruptcy matters representing debtors, creditors, and trustees in all aspects of consumer and business bankruptcy proceedings. Kristen is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. During her career, she has published articles on bankruptcy topics in national publications and authored a chapter in the North Carolina Bankruptcy Practice Manual. Kristen is the mother of twin girls. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, Pilates, and reading.