I didn’t set out thinking this would be my path. What I really chose was public service. Early in my career, I believed working in government was almost a civic duty and a way to participate in a system designed to help people. I was fascinated by how the machinery of government actually works, from the Legislature to state agencies, and how policy and decisions at those levels ultimately shape real life for real families.
Gary Jesse and his vision for expanding Sellers Dorsey’s consulting services. He and I worked together within Texas HHS, and through that work, we saw the cracks in the systems, and we worked together to seal the fractures as best we could – particularly for children and youth in foster care. That experience was foundational to the work we’re doing now at Sellers Dorsey within the firm’s Child and Family Well-Being team and National Consulting Practice.
Medicaid plays a central role in child and family well-being, whether people realize it or not. It’s the primary payer for the health, behavioral health, and substance use services that many children and families involved in child welfare depend on. From a Medicaid perspective, partnering with child welfare systems isn’t just important – it’s essential. Many of the challenges that lead families into crisis, from untreated mental health needs to substance use disorders, sit squarely within Medicaid’s reach. When Medicaid and child welfare work together, states can intervene earlier, stabilize families, and deliver better outcomes for children while also creating efficiencies, reducing pressure points across both systems, and using Medicaid resources more strategically.
There’s never a dull moment. Or a day that’s like any other. That keeps things interesting and my brain gears turning. Child and Family Well-being and Medicaid are dynamic systems, and I’m drawn to them – perhaps like a moth to a flame. And Sellers Dorsey is just as dynamic – always looking around the corner for what’s ahead and how we can prepare our clients for the changes on the horizon. And our clients are absolutely incredible. I can authentically be excited about the work because I believe in their mission and the greater good of these public systems.
If you’ve met me, you know within the first five minutes that I’m a proud Hoosier who happens to live in Texas. But what may be more surprising is that years ago, I was the Indiana State Fair Grand Champion in Poultry. My love of chickens has now translated into my love of birds. I’m a bird nerd.
Pumping gas into boats at a marina in Cicero, Indiana.
Being outdoors – whether that means hiking, walking or sitting on a patio somewhere. I love to be in the fresh air. And spending time with my teenage boys and husband – never-ending activities with my crew.
Edward Scissorhands – not sure what that says about me. But I love the visuals and storyline.