Educating and spreading awareness about environmental issues such as litter pollution, recycling, and landfill diversion are essential to improving the health and beauty of our communities. Waste management and litter control are crital to developing positive behavioral changes and maintaining positive social norms. I work on teams and with community groups but also excel working independently to make positive impacts. Working in a team atmosphere offers opportunities to share knowledge, build ideas and strengthen relationships and communities. Leading a team offers opportunities to build community vision and growth. These skills along with passion and tenacity give me the courage to tackle tough issues resulting in positive change. Our planet is in crisis and it's everyone's responsibility to do what they can to protect and preserve it. It only takes a small action such as choosing to reduce consumption, picking up litter in your neighborhood or business or volunteering to improve your community. Change starts in our own back yards. As an advocate for the environment, volunteering and working diligently for change has been my focus. Here are some examples of my focus: a member of Keep Covington Beautiful recruiting volunteers for clean up projects and raising funds to sustain educational programming and collection events; a member of Solid Waste Coordinators of Kentucky (SWACK) collaborating on best practices in waste management; a guest speaker sharing my passion for litter prevention at the 2011 Keep America Beautiful’s National Conference in New Orleans; Sierra Club member and guest speaker at the annual 2015 activist weekend, presenting and raising awareness about curbside and advanced recycling.