About:

When I started my career, DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) in governmental and non-governmental institutions looked very different from today. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, I was called to create the Woman to Woman Project, bringing toether women from different cultures.

From that point on, I worked consistently with governmental, non-governmental, and volunteer organizations to uncover the importance of DEI principles and ensure emergency responders have tools to serve the community more equitably in a disaster.

In 2007, when I started my position with Public Health Preparedness and Response, I worked to integrate DEI practices into the Snohomish County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit that I was developing. Initially I tried to find a pre-built training I could deliver to my emergency response volunteers. Finding no such training, I applied my experience and knowledge about DEI to develop my own curriculum.

Originally created for the Snohomish MRC, the trainings spread into Nevada, New York City and California, as well as to the the Public Health Preparedness Summit. Most recently, the training was adapted to apply to community-based organizations and to the criminal justice field.

As competencies grow and change, I continue to update the training curriculum integrating major changes to the DEI landscape and advocate for cultural competence for emergency responders.