For decades, I worked in clinical and administrative roles in mental health, eating disorders, and substance abuse, serving children, teens, families, and adults through individual sessions, group work, and community initiatives.

2019 was a transformative year for me. I founded the Knoxville Happiness Coalition, hosting meetings for a year until March 2020, when the pandemic halted in-person gatherings. Our events featured speakers from diverse backgrounds—professionals who had discovered happiness. This inspired me to delve deeper into happiness and positive psychology. I earned a certification from the Fellowship's premier masterclass on organizational culture and completed a leadership and management certification through Wharton Online.

In 2019, I also began teaching at the University of Tennessee’s Center for Professional Education & Lifelong Learning. That same year, I joined the World Happiness Fest, planning an event for March 2020 to promote happiness across cultures. At the time, I was a program coordinator, but I lost my job due to layoffs in December. In 2019 I also created my first online course. Shortly after, LearnFormula invited me to join their platform. Since then, I’ve developed 20 courses on topics like leadership, communication, workforce skills, mental health, and organizational transformation.

In 2019, I also joined the Knoxville Association of Women Executives (KAWE), quickly accepting a board position. I became president in 2022 and led initiatives such as awarding scholarships to college students, recognizing women leaders with the Notable Woman Award, composing press releases, and managing marketing campaigns on social media. I supported board transitions in 2023 to ensure continued success with community projects and leadership development.

In 2020, I joined the board of the Oak Ridge Human Resources Association (ORHRA), leading programs to advance local HR initiatives. By 2022, I helped form the Oak Ridge Human Resources Alliance as ORHRA merged with the Oak Ridge Chamber. I continued as an advisor since 2023, to shape HR policies benefiting the community.

My vision for community improvement has expanded through my venture, Life Betterment Through God, which provides culture and leadership training for ministry leaders. I’ve kept this initiative distinct from my broader organizational work. Over the past five years, I’ve written and podcasted extensively, creating a newsletter, Life Skills for Leadership, with three columns and a comprehensive library of over 700 resources for organizations and ministries. My mission is to transform communities one person, church, and organization at a time.

In October 2024, I collaborated with the Crack the Wellness Foundation in Jaipur, India, contributing a chapter to the book Global Joy: Unlocking Happiness Across Cultures. I was later invited to help curate the book. I plan to participate in the Global Happiness Summit in Jaipur in September 2024, with additional international speaking engagements in 2025.

Currently, I am writing my book, Living with Purpose: A Professional’s Guide to Fulfillment.

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