Kurtz holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ottawa and a Masters in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston. She is also a graduate of the Joint Command and Staff Program at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto. Kurtz lives in Halifax with her husband and daughter.

The first woman commanding officer of a Canadian Navy ship was Lt.-Cdr. Marta Mulkins who took command of a Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel, HMCS Kingston, in July 2003.

The Halifax is also the name sake of her class, which makes it a very prestigious post in any navy.