I am the proud mother of four young adults, 3 living in Southern California and one here in Lake Oswego, Oregon; grandmother to 3. I come from a family of nine children, 2 females and 7 males. My parents were well-educated and encouraged all of us to be as well-educated and ambitious as they were. My father was a mental health sociologist who worked in a large mental health facility, while my mother was an educator.

I launched numerous careers after obtaining a Bachelor Degree in English and Sociology, along with a teacher's certificate; a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Educational Administration; and a Jurisprudence Doctorate in law. Needless to say, I have had an exciting career doing exactly what I wanted to do! I have taught English/Literature in Middle School and High schools. Taught various law courses in several colleges in California and Illinois; eventually focused my career working in Labor Relations — negotiating collective bargaining agreements with unions and resolving employee-related issues, including discipline and effectuating termination procedures. I spent many years working for the National Education Associations in Illinois, California and Michigan before being recruited and moving to the State of Oregon. I have moved around because I seek variety.

Here (in Oregon) I have represented and advocated employment issues and principles with various departments throughout the State; this included STRS, DMV, State Hospital and other Departments. 
 
While here, I have enjoyed working as a Consultant and Director of Labor Relations for Portland Public Schools; Kaiser Permanente and Mt. Hood Community College. In the past few years, I formed a company with two others (educator & college administrator); we work on a contract basis for employers needing and focusing on employee skill training, developing performance standards/handbooks, and developing successful business practices for their businesses.