Reunion in Stringtown: Finding Faith, Family, and Healing -- Just released on Amazon.com, my new E-book! Abandoned by her birth mother, abused by her adoptive mother, and then rejected again by her birth mother, Joyce embarks on a 25-year quest to untangle the web of secrets and lies behind her relinquishment, failed relationships and recurring psychological traumas. Ultimately, she needs not just tenacity, but also subpoenas and DNA tests to break down the doors to her past. Before she’s finished, she recovers from alcoholism, redefines her understanding of love and family, and embraces the faith of her ancestors: Judaism.When her adoptive mother dies in 1992, Joyce makes a surprising discovery that opens old wounds and propels her to seek answers to the questions she's always suppressed. As she works toward the truth, she fights bureaucrats and others over her right to know her heritage. When she finally locates the woman who abandoned her in 1954, Joyce must confront her own worst fears. Through newfound siblings, she begins to reconstruct her life. But finding her birth mother unexpectedly starts another journey. A DNA test in 2016 proves two keys to her past: that she is Jewish, and that the man whom her birth certificate lists as her father is, in fact, no relation. Convinced she will never find her birth father, she immerses herself in the religion of her mother's ancestors. Then Joyce suddenly receives news of a paternal genetic match and learns she has more family just a few miles away.This engrossing, cathartic, and true story will inspire anyone who has endured child abuse and struggled to form rewarding relationships. It will also captivate all those who have wondered how genealogy can help them discover their lost heritage.

VP of Marketing for a "Top 100" Independent Garden Center, Pet Supply Store and Landscape Services Company. One of the largest IGC's in Texas with $3 million+ revenues (Garden Center Magazine)Summary:Since acquiring Marshall Grain, I have transformed an old-fashioned feed store with declining revenue potential into a modern urban farm, garden and pet supply destination with sustained annual growth, increased profit margins and a broader customer base. Capitalizing on our leadership in organic and sustainable gardening, in 2015 we expanded to include a landscape services division.Lead all marketing efforts for both the retail and landscape divisions. Create and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy based on changing market forces and customer demographics. Produce strategic marketing programs that measurably drive revenue growth and store traffic. Evaluate all marketing programs against KPI measurement targets. Continuously build brand equity and manage corporate identity. Key Achievements:Lead a cross-functional store team of 10 to 15 employees to achieve outstanding customer service, effective store merchandising, and higher average tickets.Slashed traditional media spending by 70% and focused budget on digital marketing to cut costs while improving revenues and brand recognition.Grew customer email list from zero to 20k qualified subscribers with consistent open rates above the industry average.Spearheaded redesign of our company website, which immediately increased KPIs, including SEO rankings and store traffic.Core Competencies:Marketing, Strategic Planning, Team Leadership, Growth, Digital Marketing, Branding and Identity, Brand Development, New Business Development, Retailing, Retail Marketing, SEO, Marketing Analytics, Social Media, Email Marketing, Public Speaking, Customer Engagement, Customer Relationship Management, Marketing Automation, Customer Experience, Public Relations, Media Relations, Budgeting, Advertising, Sales

Achievements:Recipient of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution National Conservation Medal for 2019.Recipient of the Captain Molly Corbin Chapter of the Texas DAR's annual Conservation Award. Featured Speaker: Dallas County Community College District 2017 Sustainability SummitAs Marketing VP for Marshall Grain Co., I have become acutely aware of the damage we do to the environment through the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Through these practices, we are polluting our water supplies, threatening our pollinators, reducing biodiversity, and exposing ourselves to toxic chemicals. The solution is for us to begin thinking of our backyards, our boulevard median strips, our rooftops and our community open spaces as mini-oases -- or self-sustaining micro-environments -- that can be planted with native plants to support native wildlife.Switching from synthetic chemicals to organic practices is the critical first step to saving our food supply, and as Vice President of Marshall Grain, I routinely teach organic gardening methods to our customers. However, Backyard Biospheres takes the concepts we teach in our store to another level.Backyard Biospheres exists to teach people how individuals can join together to form a patch-work habitat capable of sustaining our pollinators. By building a series of disconnected gardens, home owners can create rest stops for the millions of weary migrants travelling the North American Flyway, which extends from Texas to the Canadian border. These same gardens provide homes for our permanent residents, like the endangered Texas horned lizard. We can't roll back civilization and turn the freeways back into prairies. But we can create a network of gardens that not only serve our pollinators but also provide us with the enjoyment that comes from having a strong connection to nature.I am available to speak to private groups or at public events, such as Earth Day celebrations.

Developed and executed marketing communications strategies and tactics for clients across multiple industries, including high technology, health care, real-estate, non-profit, and consumer electronics. Implemented and managed world-class media relations programs that resulted in national and international news coverage for my clients. Created media and marketing materials such as corporate background documents, white papers, annual reports, brochures, web content, press releases, direct mail, and data sheets. Initiated, organized and attended local and national press tours and trade shows.Key Accomplishments:Developed a winning strategic plan that successfully took one client from inception through IPO, which opened at $24 and peaked at $116 on the first day of trading. Critical to my client’s success was winning a key contract to become one of the Internet’s first domain name registrars. My client won the contract and was awarded one of the first 5 licenses to sell domain names by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). My client was also the only small business awarded a license, campaigning against the likes of AOL and AT&T, and winning out over hundreds of other competitors. Taught semiconductor engineers critical authorship skills and placed 100% of their articles in leading scientific trade journals, resulting in monetary rewards and patent recognition for the engineers in the programProduced revenue-generating direct mail pieces for multiple clients, one of which drew a 13% response — 10 times the average response rate.Co-authored “The Black and White Solution: Bar Code and the IBM PC,” a leading guide book on bar code technology, (Helmers Publishing, Peterborough, NH)Authored the specialty history book “My Century: 1960-1970” (David S. Lake Publishers, San Mateo, CA).

Directed day-to-day operations of a major monthly publication serving the high-technology industry. Developed story concepts, planned issue contents & made assignments. Managed staff & freelance writers. Worked with production & advertising departments to coordinate all elements of the publication & maintain all deadlines & production schedules. Upheld rigorous editorial standards. Edited and wrote copy as necessary.