Born: Springfield, Mo.

Family: Andy, her miniature Doberman Pinscher.

Occupation: Detective with the Tonganoxie Police Department.

Dream job as a child: Beard always wanted a job at which she could help people.

Digging deeper: Beard grew up in Viburnum, Mo., a lead mining town that is about 110 miles southwest of St. Louis. Just fewer than 700 people live in the town.

She graduated in 1986 from Viburnum High School, which is part of the Iron County C-4 School District.

From there, she attended Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., on a basketball scholarship before playing at Newman University in Wichita. Beard played the forward position throughout her career.

She graduated from NU in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Beard worked with runaway youths and youths with substance abuse problems. She then landed jobs in Kansas City, Kan., and then Leavenworth working with adults who had developmental disabilities, including a stint at Riverside Resources in Leavenworth.

She then decided to make a career move to law enforcement. She graduated from the police academy on her 31st birthday.

“I had always had that in mind that I wanted to do it,” Beard said. “I kind of got to that point that I needed to get into law enforcement or let that dream go.”

She worked 15 years in the Leavenworth Police Department before joining the Tonganoxie Police Department in October 2013.

In her spare time, Beard still enjoys watching women’s basketball. She also loves watching any Kansas University basketball. She has been to NCAA Tournament games, including a trip to Des Moines, Iowa, where KU, Baylor and Tennessee all happened to be playing in the Sweet 16 for women’s basketball.

“The primary thing was I just wanted to see Pat Summit coach in person,” Beard said, referring to the iconic Tennessee coach who recently retired.

She hasn’t been to a Final Four, but did visit Knoxville, Tenn., for a big-time matchup between Stanford and Tennessee.

Beard also likes to bake and make various appetizers. Apple pie is her forte, and she enjoys trying to cake and cookie recipes, along with those snack items.

“Anything that can go in a crock pot or dip a chip in it, I’m gonna try that recipe,” she said.