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Sommer can play ball with the best of them

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//December 1, 2016//

Sommer can play ball with the best of them

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//December 1, 2016//

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Kristin Sommer - Legal assistant - Hupy and Abraham
Kristin Sommer – Legal assistant –
Hupy and Abraham

Kristin Sommer is a master of maneuvering around the unpredictability of both her personal and work life.

“I’m just a really, very independent person,” she said. “It’s life. You gotta wing it. You can’t always go A, B, C, D all the time.”

By day, Sommer mans the helm of the largest department at Hupy & Abraham, managing 50 secretaries and legal assistants in three states.

One of the job’s challenges is that a quick fix or answer is impossible.

“I want to make sure everyone has what they need,” she said. “If not, it’s, ‘Shoot, how do I get it and get it quickly?’”

It also means Sommer spends time on the road. She’s made it to every one of Hupy’s offices in person.

“It’s important to develop relationships with them, not just as a manager but as a coworker too,” she said. “I don’t ever want them to be scared or nervous.”

By night, Sommer enjoys spending time with her dog and two cats, which provide a welcome break from ringing phones and emails popping into her inbox.

Sommer is also a huge fan of Major League Baseball. She and her husband travel with the Milwaukee Brewers. They have toured and watched games in 10 major league stadiums so far, although they have yet to catch a game at Miller Park.

“I will literally will watch any MLB game that is on TV,” she said.

But don’t think that unpredictability doesn’t find Sommer at home. Her husband, Jim, is a Milwaukee police officer. And although their schedules finally harmonized after nearly three years, he remains on call 24 hours a day.

Part of how she deals with that unpredictability is volunteering at Shielded Hearts, an organization for women who are in relationships with men in law enforcement. The work she does ranges from bringing treats to different districts or grocery shopping for an injured officer.

Teresa Robinson, executive director of the organization, says Sommer has been indispensable, helping the group run big fundraisers and rallying people together.

“Kristin is one of my favorites,” she said. “If you give her a project or assignment, she will give it back to you better than you expected.”

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