After moving to St. George, Utah in 1997, I continued my 35 year professional career in the accounting and financial services industry as Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial.  I have two children and was a working single mother for 13 years.  I retired in 2008 to care for my daughter, Kristina, and her two young daughters after they had been in a terrible auto accident which left my daughter disabled. 

 

Kristina was also a single mother and I was lucky enough to help her raise her two young daughters.  She passed away in 2010 due to complications from the accident when the girls were only 7 and 9 years old.  The girl's father then became their legal guardian, even though he had only been granted supervised visitation at the time.

 

I am now raising my granddaughters. I have experienced loved ones that have been kidnapped, the loss of a child, long court custody cases and observing as one of the parents of my grandchildren struggled with mental health and drug addiction issues.  While some of these circumstances are quite unique, unfortunately some of them are just all too common.  I want to make a positive change in the community and to provide improved availability of services for children who are involved court custody cases.