I have come to Regent University from a rich and rewarding career with Chesapeake Public Schools, Chesapeake, Virginia under the leadership of two outstanding superintendents C. Fred Bateman and W. Randolph Nichols. Both superintendents had the wisdom to provide me with many professional experiences with children and their families that reflected the full spectrum of their diverse needs – from those in extreme poverty to those with the most intellectual gifts.
After experiencing the role of teacher, counselor, and guidance director, I moved into administration because I wanted to be a change agent for all children, their families and their community. I worked with the Chamber of Commerce and initiated the Adopt-a-School Program (now Partners-in Education) to link community agencies and programs with the schools. Simultaneously, I was directed to plan the drug education initiatives for the school division under the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. With this initiative we integrated “student assistance counselors” in all our high schools, who are school counselors who work directly with students at-risk, or from multi-stressed families to assist them with the appropriate community services and programs to meet their needs.
I then moved on to learn about gifted and talented children and directed the Laboratory School for the Academically Gifted and learned about multiple intelligence and how all children have their own special gifts. In the last six years, I was fortunate to be selected for my “dream job” as supervisor of guidance and counseling. This was the perfect match, because I was concurrently teaching counselor education and human services education with Old Dominion University for the past twenty years,and have published eight books focusing on school counseling, counseling techniques, crisis intervention and crisis management and promoting resiliency in multi-stressed youth. However, I was drawn to Regent University because I knew I could make a significant difference both locally and globally.
My hobbies include consulting, writing, researching, and mentoring. Something unique about me is that I live in a wildlife refuge where I enjoy unique neighbors like osprey, blue herons, white egrets, and a lot of loud frogs!
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