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After an especially difficult day at the office — and in LAURIE BRAUER‘s line of work, they’re bound to happen — Champaign County’s second-year coroner can always count on the welcome wagon lifting her spirits when she makes it home.

There’s Ru, a Schnauzer mix. Red, a Jack Russell Terrier mix. Maisy, a “Chorkie” (a little bit Chihuahua, a little bit Yorkie). Jessie, a Miniature Pinscher. And Zoe, a Beagle Chihuahua mix.

“My favorite thing is going home to the excited welcome from my dogs,” all rescues, Brauer says. “Not much beats that kind of unconditional love and enthusiasm.”

A former Champaign County corrections officer and Carle Foundation Hospital emergency department technician, voters made Brauer the county’s first female coroner two years ago this November.

The county’s deputy coroner for four years prior to that, she only joined the office in the first place because a friend who worked there thought she’d be a good fit “and convinced me to apply,” Brauer says. “That was all it took for me to discover the job I never knew I needed.”

A self-described “proud dog mom” who loves going on Disney World adventures with her grandchildren, Brauer grew up in Tolono and now calls Urbana home.

The avid reader took time out to answer questions from Editor Jeff D’Alessio in the 350th installment of our weekly speed read spotlighting leaders of organizations big and small.

My one unbreakable rule of the workplace is … always treat everyone with dignity, compassion and respect.

The first thing I do when I get to work most days is … join the hallway huddle. I love hearing how the night went and what we know about the day ahead.

Our office is so unpredictable that every shift brings something different.

My philosophy on meetings is … I love a productive meeting — especially when it’s in person and there’s time to socialize and catch up, too.

On my office walls, you’ll find … an eclectic mix of creepy, weird and unique things that perfectly represent me.

The hardest thing about being a leader is … balancing what’s best for the community with what’s best for the staff — especially when those needs don’t always align.

The three adjectives I hope my staff would use to describe me are … supportive, fair and dedicated.

My favorite moments in this job are … when I get to collaborate with the staff, put some of their great ideas into action, and — every once in awhile — watch an idea actually go according to plan.

I can’t live without … the three things I always have with me: sunglasses — usually on top of my head; lip balm in every pocket; and a drink or, more often, two: coffee and water.

When it comes to professional role models … there are several people I’ve looked up to over the years, and I feel I’ve learned something valuable from each of them.

I especially admire leaders who lead by example, support their staff, admit when they don’t have all the answers and remain willing to learn, grow and improve.

I’m frugal in that … I try to make the most of what we already have, and rarely spend money without asking, “Do we really need this?”

I like to use things until they’re unusable.

If I could trade places for a week with anyone in town, I wouldn’t mind switching with … the barista at Lazy Daisy Diner & Cafe. After working in the coroner’s office, I’m already experienced with long hours, unusual requests and keeping people going with caffeine.

For lunch … I usually skip lunch, but when I do make lunch plans, my current favorite is Encanto — their birria tacos are definitely worth making time for.

As for the last luxury in which I indulged … I love fresh flowers, but my frugal side could never justify buying them regularly. Now, I purchase them for the office each week and we get to enjoy them — it’s a little indulgence that always brightens our day.

For college … I attended Parkland and initially started on a healthcare path before switching to the EMT program. I’ve always loved hands-on skills classes, and the anatomy courses in the cadaver lab were some of my favorites.

Looking back, that may have been a little foreshadowing of the career I have now.

For a good read … I just finished the “Dungeon Crawler Carl” series. It’s not normally my genre, but my son recommended it, and I was instantly obsessed.

I didn’t stop until I finished all eight books. Now I’m impatiently waiting for book nine — and the TV series.

I’m up and at ’em every day at … two very different times. I’m usually up around 5 a.m., but I’m not truly “at ’em” until about 8:30 — coffee is a wonderful thing.

For exercise … I used to be an avid runner, but sadly, the demands of the job didn’t leave me much time for it. I’m really hoping to lace up my running shoes and get back at it soon.

The first job I ever had was … babysitting. I’ve always loved kids, so I was the go-to babysitter growing up. I’m happy to say I still am — only now, instead of watching the neighborhood kids, my kids’ friends let me come play with their little ones.

The worst job I ever had was … waitressing at a local diner. I was in high school — it was a complete disaster.

Ever since, I’ve had a deep appreciation for servers and everything they do.