WHAT MAKES ME AN EXPERT?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING- I AM NOT AN EXPERT.

I JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE BEHIND ME COMBINED WITH SOME FORMAL EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND.

THE DRIVE FOR JUSTICE

MAYBE IT’S HOW I WAS RAISED, MAYBE IT’S JUST BEING FROM MY GENERATION—OR WHO KNOWS, MAYBE IT’S SIMPLY BECAUSE I’M A LIBRA—BUT I’VE ALWAYS HAD A STRONG SENSE OF JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS. I CANNOT STAND BY AND WATCH INJUSTICE HAPPEN WITHOUT AT LEAST TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

A FEW YEARS AGO, I BEGAN HELPING PEOPLE WHOSE STORIES TUGGED AT ME—PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN MISTREATED, MISUNDERSTOOD, OR OVERLOOKED. ONE CASE LED TO ANOTHER, AND SOON I REALIZED THAT THE NEED FOR FAIRNESS AND UNDERSTANDING ALONG WITH GUIDANCE ON NAVIGATION WAS FAR GREATER THAN I’D IMAGINED.

FROM THOSE EXPERIENCES, I FOUNDED “AND JUSTICE FOR ALL,” A FACEBOOK INITIATIVE BUILT TO EDUCATE AND CONNECT PEOPLE NAVIGATING ISSUES WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OR GOVERNMENT ENTITIES. AROUND THE SAME TIME, I ALSO LAUNCHED THE NATIONAL SERVICE DOG ALLIANCE—A SEPARATE EFFORT AIMED AT IMPROVING EDUCATION AND STANDARDS SURROUNDING SERVICE ANIMALS AND ACCESSIBILITY (THAT STORY DESERVES ITS OWN CHAPTER SOMEDAY) AS WELL AS OTHERS INCLUDING HEATHENS LTD., PEP & THE BLACK RIBBON PROJECT- CREATED TO BRING ATTENTION TO DEVASTATING GRIEF SOME EXPERIENCE AND SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS AROUND GRIEF.

THROUGH THESE PLATFORMS I HAD ENCOUNTERS WITH EVEN MORE PEOPLE STRUGGLING, ALL DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM ALL DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE AND IT BECAME CLEAR THAT PEOPLE NEEDED NOT JUST HELP, BUT TOOLS. SO, I BEGAN DEVELOPING STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES, TEMPLATES, AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES—A WAY FOR EVERYDAY CITIZENS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, UNDERSTAND THEIR RIGHTS, AND COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITHIN BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEMS. THEN RECENTLY IT DAWNED ON ME: IF I COULD MAKE THIS INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE, I COULD HELP FAR MORE PEOPLE THAN I COULD ONE-ON-ONE. AFTER ALL, I HAD ALREADY CREATED A LOT OF THE MATERIAL. WHY NOT SHARE IT? THAT’S HOW CITIZEN DEFENSE LAB WAS BORN—A PRACTICAL, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST NEED CLARITY, VIOLA HERE WE ARE!

EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALS

WITH OVER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERIENCE BRIDGING BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE, CHILD WELFARE, BUSINESS OPERATIONS, AND LEADERSHIP, I BRING A UNIQUE BLEND OF ANALYTICAL AND HUMAN-CENTERED EXPERTISE TO EVERY PROFESSIONAL PURSUIT.

I HOLD A BACHELOR’S AND MASTER’S DEGREE IN BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE (EARNED WITH HONORS FROM INDIANA UNIVERSITY), AN HONORS ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SUPERVISION FROM PURDUE UNIVERSITY, AND CERTIFICATION IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL COUNSELING. ADDITIONALLY, I AM A CERTIFIED FORENSIC INTERVIEWER WITH EXTENSIVE CONTINUING EDUCATION IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT, TRAUMA RESPONSE, AND FAMILY SYSTEMS.

I SERVED NEARLY A DECADE AS LEAD INVESTIGATOR WITH CHILD SERVICES. I CONDUCTED AND REVIEWED CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT INVESTIGATIONS, TESTIFIED IN CRIMINAL TRIALS, LED COMPLIANCE REVIEWS, AND PARTICIPATED IN BOTH THE FATALITY REVIEW BOARD AND BEST PRACTICE REVIEW COMMITTEE. I HAD AN AMAZING EXPERIENCED MENTOR WHO WORKED IN THE TRENCHES FOR DECADES WHO BELIEVED IN AN ETHICAL COMMON-SENSE APPROACH. THESE EXPERIENCES SHAPED MY COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL PRACTICE, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN SOCIAL SYSTEMS.

IN ADDITION TO MY PUBLIC SERVICE WORK, I BRING YEARS OF LARGE CORPORATION AS WELL AS SMALL BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE, SERVING AS THE HEAD CONSULTANT FOR A CONSULTING FIRM—WITH A FOUNDATION THAT LINKS SOCIAL SCIENCE, HUMAN MOTIVATION, AND BUSINESS STRATEGY. THUS, PROVIDING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE. MY APPROACH TO BUSINESS CHALLENGES DRAWS FROM BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH TO ANALYZE MARKETS, ANTICIPATE CLIENT NEEDS, AND DESIGN SYSTEMS THAT PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.

I WAS BLESSED WITH A NATURAL TALENT FOR WRITING, WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE DRAFTING PROFESSIONAL WRITING, INCLUDING FAR TOO MANY COURT REPORTS/MOTIONS AND BRIEFS TO COUNT. TO DATE I AM A PUBLISHED AUTHOR WORKING ON MY THIRD BOOK. DURING THE TIMEFRAME THAT I WAS GAINING MY EDUCATION AND BUILDING MY CAREER I ALSO WAS A SINGLE PARENT AND RAISED THREE DAUGHTERS, NOW SUCCESSFUL WELL ADJUST ADULTS. I TEND TO HAVE ABOUT 5 FIRES TO PUT OUT, 4 EMAILS TO WRITE, 3 CALLS TO MAKE, 2 PROJECTS TO COMPLETE AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE ON ANY GIVEN DAY.  CONTROLLED CHAOS IS ALL I KNOW!

WHILE MY EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE DOES AFFORD ME THE ABILITY TO NAVIGATE AND UNDERSTAND SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS, NOTHING IS MORE IMPACTFUL THAN LIFE LESSONS.  I HAVE AN INTRINSIC DESIRE TO LEARN- I NATURALLY QUESTION AND WANT TO UNDERSTAND.  A BLESSING AND A CURSE, THAT PART OF MY PERSONALITY HAS RESULTED IN ME LEARNING A LOT OF DIVERSE INFORMATION, OF COURSE IT HAS ALSO LED ME DOWN SOME PATHS THAT RESULTED IN FINDING MYSELF TROUBLE.  ONCE CELEBRATED IN AMERICA, IN TODAY’S WORLD TO BE CONSIDERED “NON-COMPLAINT” CERTAINLY OPENS UP IT’S OWN CAN OF WORMS.  I HAVE EVEN HAD FRIENDS ASK ME WHY I ALWAYS HAVE TO “BUCK THE SYSTEM”.  I CONSIDERED WHAT THEY HAD SAID AND DECIDED TO BE TRUE TO WHO I AM- IT IS JUST WHO I AM!  IN PART THE REBEL IN ME IS BECAUSE OF HOW I WAS RAISED - "QUESTION EVERYTHING" MY DAD WOULD SAY.  MY PARENTS ALSO HELPED SHAPE MY MORAL COMPASS, WHICH ALSO GUIDES ME.  A STRONG SINESE OF RIGHT AND WRONG- THANKFULLY.  AT THE END OF THE DAY I HAVE A COUPLE OF LIFETIMES WORTH OF EXPERIENCES THAT TAUGHT ME MORE THAN ANY CLASSROOM!  I SHARE THIS FONT OF SOMETIMES USELESS KNOWLEDGE TO THOSE WHO IT MAY BE USEFUL.  I AM HAPPY TO BE HERE AND I HOPE THIS HELPS.