My Journey

My professional path has taken me from bedside nursing to healthcare leadership, public health, academia, and nonprofit innovation.

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Over the course of my career, I've served in clinical care, public health, managed care, academia, nonprofit leadership, and community-based research. Each experience strengthened my belief that improving health outcomes requires more than programs—it requires listening, partnership, and action.

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Each role strengthened my belief that improving health outcomes requires more than programs—it requires listening, partnership, and action.

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Highlights

• Founder & Executive Director, The Empowerment Foundation

• Adjunct Faculty, University of Cincinnati College of Nursing

• Former healthcare leader across public health, managed care, and maternal-child health

• National speaker, researcher, and community advocate

Where Research Meets Community

​Rather than designing solutions for communities, I believe in building them with communities.

That philosophy led to Amplifying the Voices of Pregnant and Postpartum Women, a community-engaged listening initiative that became the foundation for much of my current work.

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Today that work has expanded into a growing ecosystem of initiatives, including:

• Amplifying the Voices — Community listening that transforms lived experiences into research, recommendations, and action.

• Empowered Connections™ — Trauma-informed care education that equips organizations and professionals to build trust, improve communication, and deliver more compassionate care.

• EmpowerHealth Watch™ — A research-informed maternal health platform designed to help women better understand their care, prepare for appointments, ask informed questions, and advocate with confidence.

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Together, these initiatives demonstrate what happens when community voices guide research, education, innovation, and systems change.

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Leadership & Service

Beyond my professional work, I remain deeply committed to advancing maternal and child health through leadership and service.

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I currently serve with several organizations, including:

• Board Chair, Black Women Cultivating Change

• Queens Village

• Blaq Birth Circle

• Safer Birth Foundation

• Maternal Health Subcommittee Chair, Ohio Prenatal-to-Three Coalition, in partnership with Groundwork Ohio and BCDI-Ohio

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I also mentor future nurses through the Black Nurses Network and serve as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing.

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Professional Recognition

My work has been recognized through community leadership awards, competitive grant funding, national poster presentations, and invitations to speak on maternal health, community engagement, trauma-informed care, and health equity. I am also honored to be a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. 

(Rather than a long paragraph here, I recommend adding a row of logos or badges for Sigma Theta Tau, University of Cincinnati, CHW Instructor/CHWO (if applicable), AcademyHealth, and other key affiliations.)

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More Than My Work

Outside of research and leadership, I'm passionate about building relationships, mentoring emerging leaders, and creating spaces where people feel heard, valued, and empowered.

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Whether I'm teaching in the classroom, facilitating a trauma-informed care training, presenting research, or listening during a community conversation, my goal is always the same: To help transform community voices into meaningful action that improves lives.

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