A
native of Austintown, Ohio, I graduated from Fitch High School in 1982.
In 1986, I earned an Associates degree in Accounting from Youngstown State
University and began work as bookkeeper for a multi-doctor surgical
practice in Youngstown. After several years I realized I had missed my
true calling and returned to Youngstown State University to complete a
Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health in 1998. This career
change first led me to Environmental Remediation work for a private
company in the Akron area. There I worked for two years as the on-site
Health & Safety Officer during a variety of remediation projects. In
2001, I began working for Lake County General Health District in
Painesville, Ohio and remained at the County Health District until June
2007 when I left to become the Environmental Health Director for Ashtabula
City Health Department.
The Environmental Health Department is responsible
for conducting the following programs within the City limits: food
service operations, retail food establishments, mobile food services, food
vending machines, rabies prevention, public swimming pools, campgrounds,
manufactured home parks, marinas, tattoo parlors, tobacco vendors, lead
poisoning, smoke-free ohio workplace program and the abatement of nuisance
conditions. I also handle all the administrative aspects associated with
these programs. The constant variety of the job makes for quick days.
Although the staff of the City Health Department is
small the amount of work that we get done is a tribute to the staff’s
dedication. We feel that we make a positive impact on the citizens’ lives
daily.
