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THE NATURAL

Sherrie Calley shines like a diamond in Arkansas.

by Jim Morgan

On a Saturday morning in early March, Sherrie Calley - account manager for RL Hudson's Mid-South Sales & Distribution Center in Nashville, Arkansas - sits on the front porch of a Spartan two-room cabin built in 1901 by her husband Richard's forefathers. She's surrounded by Samantha, Jake, and Lizzie, three of the four Labrador retrievers belonging to her and Richard. She and the dogs are about to have their picture taken, an enterprise requiring more stillness than the high-spirited Labs usually supply. They're doing well, however, thanks in large part to Richard's wrangling skills.

Waiting patiently for the photographer to make one last lighting adjustment, Sherrie takes in the view from the porch. Fifteen acres snuggle sleepily amid the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. The modern Calley home stands between two ponds, both of which reflect a flawless azure sky. Only the occasional passing of a logging truck disturbs the gentle peace. It's obvious that being outdoors suits Sherrie well.

CAMPFIRE SONGS "My fondest memories as a kid are of camping trips," she says with a smile. "My family is from Wichita Falls, Texas, but every summer Dad would take my brothers and sister and I camping in the mountains of Arkansas or Colorado. We were little kids, and we lived out in the woods, and we loved it!"

Back at school, Sherrie also loved singing in the a cappella choir (a love she nurtures to this day by singing alto in her church choir). But never content to be indoors too much of the time, she also played fast-pitch softball in the Wichita Falls city league during her high school years.

Having married in the year following her graduation from Wichita Falls High School, Sherrie soon gave birth to the first of three daughters, Shannon, who would later be joined by Erin and Angela. But all wasn't sunshine. The marriage itself didn't last, and Sherrie found herself with three children to feed and the need for a job. She found one in a surprising place.

NUCLEAR FAMILY "I was hired as a shift attendant for a crew of 15 operators at the nuclear power plant in Granbury, Texas," Sherrie recounts. "I was responsible for updating all operation procedures in the control room, as well as remote shutdown procedures. I was also trained in emergency response."

After two years as a shift attendant, Sherrie transitioned to the engineering department to assist with a new preventive maintenance program. Her work included FTIR testing of materials and oil monitoring. Along the way, she gained valuable insights into the importance of quality assurance.

Happy in her work, Sherrie might still be a nuclear technician if not for a chance meeting at a safety seminar in Dallas. She met Richard Calley, and the two of them hit it off. They wed in 1999, but with Richard raising three sons in Arkansas, Sherrie left the power plant and relocated to the Natural State.

WEDDING RINGS TO O-RINGS It wasn't too long after getting settled in Murfreesboro that Sherrie first heard about RL Hudson and its plans to expand its presence in nearby Nashville. After meeting with Distribution Manager Tim McNulty and Territory Manager Becky Burkholder, Sherrie was invited to Tulsa to meet company founder and CEO Rick Hudson. That interview made a big impression on her.

"Rick took time out of his busy schedule to give me a tour of the Tulsa offices," Sherrie recalls. "He could have had somebody do that for him, but he really took the time to make me feel like part of the family, and I didn't even work here yet!"

Soon enough she did, officially joining the company in July 2002. Since then, she has worked from our offices in Nashville to oversee distribution of production parts for Becky's customers. Sherrie works closely with Mary Ann Schwing, a Tulsa-based account manager who assists Becky with development of new parts. Sherrie has plenty of praise for both Becky and Mary Ann.

"From day one, I felt like I'd known Becky my entire life," says Sherrie. "She's so outgoing, and very supportive. And Mary Ann is so knowledgeable. I always learn something new from her when she visits Arkansas."

The rest of the Nashville staff includes Tim's wife Penny, who assists Sherrie, and Tim and Penny's two sons, Jason and Justin, who both work part-time in the warehouse. It's a tight-knit group, and Sherrie enjoys the challenges they face together.

"There's nothing more gratifying than having a customer call and say, 'I need this part ASAP,' and for me to be able to say, 'I've got it right here and we'll get it out to you today.' To make our customers' needs happen in their timeframe is great, and we do that every day around here."

LIFE AMID THE LABS Away from the office, Sherrie likes nothing better than to be outdoors with Richard and their dogs. As the last few frames of film are shot, she shares the story of how they first got involved with Labs.

"Richard got our chocolate-colored mom, Samantha, to help him with duck hunting," explains Sherrie. "That was four years ago. Sam gave birth to Jake, who's yellow, and Lizzie, who's black. They're both 2. And Jake is daddy to our youngest, Belle, a 6-month-old chocolate. I had never had a Lab before, but they're such smart dogs! They're easy to teach, and they're so loyal."

And very high-energy. Their photo shoot finally over, the Labs are free again to run their fields at will, and caring for them and being step-mom to Richard's sons keeps Sherrie constantly in motion. As for the century-old cabin, Sherrie hopes to fix it up and move it, though not too far.

"I'd really like to reconstruct it as a patio or grill house behind our main house," she says. "It needs a lot of work, but Richard and I can't imagine getting rid of it. Richard's dad remembers playing there as a child. Plus, I want it to be around for my grandchildren to see. Shannon is having a baby boy in May, so I'm about to become a grandmother for the first time!"