Gayle is a native of Southern Minnesota. She received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Angustana College in Sioux Falls South Dakota in 1980 (the day Mount St. Helens blew). After working as a cardiac and intensive care nurse for 7 years in Wisconsin and Minnesota, she migrated to Seattle to attend graduate school at the University of Washington. She received a master's degree in cardiovascular nursing in January of 1989. She then worked as a critical care nurse specialist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup for the next 8 years. Gayle returned to graduate school at the University of Washington in 1995 and received a post-graduate certificate as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. She has been working as a cardiovascular Nurse Practitioner since that time. She joined the cardiology department of Southlake Clinic in 2002. Gayle's interests outside of cardiology include golf, reading, gardening, cooking, and photography.