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AMERICAN IDEAL

Janice Moreau - formerly Regenhard - changes her surname...and her citizenship.

by Jim Morgan

Janice Moreau has thought a lot about what it means to be an American.

"It means complete freedom of choice about what you want to do with your life," she enthuses. "Anything that you could ever imagine for yourself is here. Above all, there's opportunity. There are no boundaries to what a person can do. That may sound idealistic, but it's true."

Janice herself is proof of how much one person can achieve. Since joining RL Hudson as our receptionist in 1994, she has climbed ever upward, first as an account manager, and currently as the territory manager for the burgeoning Oklahoma-Kansas region. She also recently traded in her Canadian credentials to become a U.S. citizen.

LEAVING HER HOME (AND NATIVE LAND) "My parents got married in a small town in northern Alberta called Bonneville," Janice recounts. "We lived there until I was 5, then we moved to Calgary. Dad was in the oil business, and he was sent to Tulsa to start an international trade division when I was about 13." A big smile blooms. "We got here in the middle of summer. Tulsa is much warmer than Calgary."

Fast-forward two years. Her father's assignment complete, the family (including Janice, three brothers, and four sisters) trekked back north en masse. Janice finished her schooling and pondered her future. Having done likewise, her boyfriend from Tulsa came to Calgary and proposed marriage. Janice returned to Oklahoma as both a new bride and a permanent resident alien. Her family supported her decision, but it was still a tough transition.

"I left home before some of my brothers and sisters were grown," Janice recalls wistfully, "and I moved 2,000 miles away. I'd go back once every year or two, but I was tremendously homesick for a long time."

CHARTING A COURSE Janice spent the next few years acclimating herself to the full-time roles of young wife and homemaker. Before long, she was also mother to a daughter and, later, two sons. But as her kids went off to school, Janice went off to work. A temporary job with IBM turned long-term, then segued into administrative roles at an ambulance service and at a country club. The latter is where she met Rick Hudson.

"Rick golfed at the club," she says, "and he mentioned that he needed a receptionist at his company. He knew I was overqualified, but he also wanted to start a newsletter for his customers, and I'd been editing the club newsletter for several years. He promised plenty of opportunities for advancement, and that made it an easy decision."

And one that paid off. After successfully launching Hudson Highlights as the company's first newsletter, Janice was reassigned as an account manager for Becky Burkholder's territory. Janice credits Becky with teaching her how to problem-solve, a skill that's proven particularly handy since Janice herself became a territory manager in 1998. Despite the demands of the job, Janice feels strongly that a woman (and mom) can be just as effective in the field as a man. At times, however, she has had to work extra hard to prove herself.

"With some people," she concedes, "it is a challenge to make them see that, yes, I am a woman, but I do know what I'm talking about and I can help them. When I call on a customer, it's like I bring along a full company, and that includes engineering assistance and quality assurance. Whether I'm a man or a woman, what RL Hudson offers goes far beyond what anyone who's just there selling rubber can bring to the table. That's why I love what I do."

HEEDING A CALL But as happy as Janice is career-wise, there was, until recently, something that still bothered her personally: her residency status. Though she had often considered becoming a U.S. citizen, loyalty to her parents and siblings-all of whom still live in Canada-made her reluctant to renounce her Canadian citizenship. A tragedy moved her to action.

"On 9-11," she says, "when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked, I thought, if somebody called me and said, 'We need you to help fight this battle,' I would do it. It really stirred me up. I realized that I was willing to die for this country, but I hadn't even applied for my citizenship yet!"

By October she had, and fourteen months later she officially became a U.S. citizen. Janice was one of seven people-the others were from Mexico, India, China, and Germany-sworn in by Judge Kimberly West at a Naturalization Oath Ceremony on December 6, 2002. Having divorced a few years ago, Janice also elected at that ceremony to officially revert to her maiden name, Moreau. She admits liking the fact that once again having a French-Canadian name links her to her past. And as for the future? A twinkle dances in her eyes when she reflects on how much that ceremony changed her.

"It was a pivotal moment," she says. "I'd always been a little different from the people around me because I wasn't a citizen. Since I took that oath, this is my country, too. I am an American now, and that's a tremendous feeling. I can't wait 'til the Fourth of July!"