educating parents. saving families.

As the mother of five children and grandmother of seven, I have experienced life’s greatest blessing called “family". Looking back, I can pinpoint a time when our family was either going to grow closer or break apart. Thankfully, I was surrounded by some great people who loved me, encouraged me, and provided me with some wonderful resources that educated me on parenting.

I am so grateful for God’s provision and will spend the rest of my life paying it forward. Mother Teresa’s famous quote, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family” says it all.  

Let’s change the world together, one family at a time.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, being a parent is one of the greatest honors of my life. Growing up in a large family of nine in a house meant to fit half that number, I saw my parents struggle & sacrifice to provide & protect, all while giving us a lot of love and a lot of laughter.  While no parent is perfect, their selfless approach to parenting inspired my wife and I to strive to do the same for our family for the last 25+years.  

Leading a blended family through the ups and downs of life was so rewarding and yet so hard all at the same time but we are now blessed to see the parenting journey begin with our 3 adult children.  

We currently have four amazing grandkids! The journey of parenting has certainly changed from my parents’ time to mine, and now to our children’s. But what is unchanging for all parents is our privilege to guide our kids through the ups and downs of life in an educated, hopeful and positive way.  

I’m here at OP today because this journey never really ends.  It’s about continuing to learn, love, educate and equip not just parents, but grandparents, guardians and caregivers alike. It truly is an honor to embrace this parenting journey and continue to strengthen the families of today and tomorrow.    

Growing up I had awesome parents, I was an athlete, did well in school, and from the outside - my life looked “good.” However, I still wasn’t exempt from many of the topics we cover at Operation Parent - no one is.

This is why I’m so passionate about the mission of OP - being a part of an organization who helps parents/caregivers be more up to date in what their children may be struggling with, experiencing, or being exposed to (no matter who they are or what their life looks like) is an opportunity to be a voice for their children!

I am also happily married, and a new dog mom!

You never know how different chapters in your life will bring different people, different kids, and different environmental issues into your life. I have been living with those differences for a long time. Everything I have done in my life has led me to where I am today. I am a mom of 5, 4 boys and 1 girl. The three youngest (boys) are 20 years younger than my oldest two. I am a Mimi of two sweet boys, a dog mom, and a retired RN.

I started working with Operation Parent in 2021. It was a great fit. I loved the vision and mission of OP. What is discussed in the parent handbooks is related to my teenage boys, but if my boys' bio-mom and bio-dad parents had known what they were doing (since both had Substance Use Disorders), our lives would look different. I love my boys so much, I just hate the sadness they have and must keep reminding them that it’s not their fault, but the illness of their bio parents' decisions affected so many lives. I work with community organizations, parents, schools, and anyone who provides or is interested in prevention education.

The handbooks are so relevant to our current environment and continue to evolve. One thing that will never change is the passion our team has to provide hope. I love walking beside people who want to make a difference in their families and communities.

I grew up with a mom who never said no to someone in need and a dad who always put family first. Together they instilled my love of helping people and the importance of family. I’m thrilled to be able to blend those together by helping families at Operation Parent.

During college I had anxiety and depression and I remember how difficult it was to explain to my parents how I was feeling and what those words even meant. My parents were very supportive, but I know it was difficult for them to find resources to explain how to help as parents. This is why I aspire to use social media to spread Operation Parent’s knowledge and give hope to parents around the world.

Mom. Wife. Women in Public Health. Champion of Families and Healthy Choices.

Over the last 9 years, it has been an honor to work on the Operation Parent team where our own families are highly valued! I’ve had the pleasure to produce parent prevention webinars leading to 27,000+ individuals joining our Operation Parent Prevention Community. Through these webinars I get to live out my passion for others to live healthy and fulfilling lives. My hope is each time parents leave with new knowledge, confidence and, many tools for teen prevention conversations and strong substance refusal skills.

Prior to non-profit work, I worked as a progressive leader at Spalding and the University of Louisville for 20+ years. However, my most important role was raising my two daughters, who are now both in college, in partnership with my husband.

I knew as a parent attending my first education program at Operation Parent that something very special was happening here! I had recently lost a family member to addiction, and I wanted to do more to keep the teens in my family and everywhere healthy. Operation Parent makes my family stronger and gives me faith that families can avoid or recover from addiction.

I hope you also feel the hope, love, and support engrained in everything and everyone on the Operation Parent Team!

“While we try to teach our 'teens' all about life… they teach us what LIFE is all about.”
-Angela Schwindt

“Your greatest accomplishment may not be something you do but someone you raise.”
~ Andy Stanley.

The greatest job is being a parent; the second greatest is working at Operation Parent! I LOVE being the mother of my two children, and although it is the most challenging job, it brings the greatest rewards. When I learned of Operation Parent's mission and got a glimpse of their culture, I knew I wanted to be a part of the team. As a fundraising professional devoted to the nonprofit sector, I am eager to help Operation Parent expand its reach and cultivate relationships with key stakeholders who believe in the mission to love and support parents by providing real-world information, connection, and hope. No parent should be on the journey alone. I firmly believe that we as parents need just a little help along the way, and Operation Parent can be that helping hand in the everyday struggles of raising our most precious gift(s).  

I look forward to connecting communities far and wide to the mission of Operation Parent!

After spending 13 years volunteering and working in Student Ministry, I felt my passion for middle and high school students shift to a passion for helping their parents. I sat with struggling parents and their kids, trying to encourage them to simply talk to each other.  As a young parent, I am learning more and more how vital these preventative conversations are in the home!

When I found Operation Parent and learned about their mission, I was so excited to come onboard! I love being able to promote confident healthy conversations between parents/caregivers and their kids, as well as educate parents on the world surrounding their children.

As Project Manager, I’ve led the development of Operation Parent’s prevention resources including The Parent Handbooks and TNT (our drug prevention event toolkit).

Interests: Family trips to Disney World, any yard game, brunch, and hosting parties!

I am enjoying my husband of 33 years and I am a momma with four amazing kiddos, three of which are married, and have blessed us with five grandchilden! Raising our children was truly one of the most amazing gifts, but parenting also came with some of the most difficult challenges life can throw at you; knowing it was MY (OUR) God-given role and responsibility to raise our children to be kind, compassionate, responsible, trustworthy men and women of society.  

We were fortunate to attend some parenting classes when Operation Parent first started and became part of their community of parents learning and growing in knowledge of the ever-changing trends and lures our children were surrounded by. That was 18 years ago, and that’s when I became interested in volunteering where I could… and now I’ve been employed with the organization nine years!

I love working with other parents and helping equip them for this journey.