Valarie moved to the Pacific Northwest the winter of 2003 and met David at the Shell Christmas Party.David was feeling a bit courageous that night having had a few drinks and decided to walk right up and introduce himself (despite his thoughts that she was out of his league).Dave and Val soon discovered they lived in the same apartment complex and began to carpool to work.And somewhere in the 45 minute drives to and from work, love sparked and has continued to glow brighter ever since.
David Bartelme
I grew up in Longview, WA along the Columbia River and am the son of Bart Bartelme and Susan Homme.There I spent most of my childhood riding a skateboard every free moment I had.I also had a fascination with science and spent endless hours reading science magazines and just reading in general.The summer before graduating highschool I received a summer job at a chemical plant which little did I know would shape most of my future to this point.I worked on a maintenance crew and came back the subsequent summer to continue working.Eventually, I started working on a software project for that company and was able to learn a lot about engineering and the chemical industry.In 1999 I moved to Seattle, WA to attend the University of Washington with the desire to pursue engineering.In 2002 I graduated with a Chemical Engineering Degree and then started working for Shell Oil.Today I spend most spare time doing outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and just about anything that might injure me.
Valarie Kultgen
I grew up in Port Washington, WI on the shore of Lake Michigan and am the daughter of Raymond and Geraldine Kultgen.My family is from Wisconsin and has a dairy farm that has been in the family for several generations.I grew up playing soccer, basketball, tennis, and was a life guard in the summer at the local pool.I was also in several summer plays.When I went to college at the University of Wisconsin at Madison I wanted to see more of the world.I decided to study abroad and learn a foreign language.So I packed my bags and studied in Madrid, Spain and later in Chile for about a year in each place.During this time I learned fluent Spanish and immersed myself in another culture.Upon graduating and returning to the US I was offered a job in Human Resources in Houston, TX for Shell Oil.I survived the hot, humid weather of Houston for a couple years before being transferred to the Pacific Northwest.