I am the Director of the Criminal Justice degree program at Schreiner University with a Doctoral Degree in Adult Continuing Education with a focus in Human Resource Development from Northern Illinois University.

I recently retired from Lewis University, Romeoville Illinois as a tenured professor after teaching traditional undergraduate, graduate, and online courses in the Justice, Law, and Public Safety Department. I am a twenty-five-year veteran of law enforcement retiring as a Commander with the Elk Grove Village Police Department, Illinois. As a career law enforcement professional, I was involved in street patrol, criminal, and youth investigations with a specialization of child sexual abuse and domestic violence. I have presented internationally and nationally on law enforcement topics. I am published in both law enforcement and educational journals.

In my spare time, I love to travel with my husband Rafael, who is a retired police officer from Des Plaines Police Department. I love to work out by cycling, lifting weights, and running.

After graduating from Texas A&M University in 2000, I became a licensed Texas Peace Officer and soon started working the streets of Bryan, TX. After four years of patrol, I was promoted to the Criminal Investigation Division and filled the open position in the Crimes Against Persons section. Throughout my career, I held many training courses educating the public and sworn officers about child abuse prevention and investigation.

After retiring in 2018, I obtained a masters in professional counseling. My calling to help others continues with providing therapy for adults and children who have experienced trauma, grief, anxiety, or change of life issues. I also enjoy teaching as an adjunct professor with the Schreiner University Criminal Justice Program.

I am an instructor in the criminal justice program at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master’s degree from Wayland Baptist University. I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in Keiser University’s criminology and criminal justice program where I expect to graduate in 2024.

I began my law enforcement career in 1995 with the San Antonio Police Department, the 7^th largest city in the nation. In 2008, I earned a promotion to detective-investigator and worked in the prestigious Night Criminal Investigations Unit (NCID), an overnight unit that investigates felonies that occur citywide. While working as a detective, I received advanced training at the Interviews & Interrogations Institute and specialized in the interrogation of felony suspects. In 2013, I earned a promotion to Sergeant and worked on patrol until retiring in 2019. In 2023, I re-activated my Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) master peace officer’s license.

In my spare time I like to hike with my wife and children, fly my drone, and practice the martial art of Bujutsu.

I am an adjunct professor at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech, and a Juris Doctor Degree from Texas A&M School of Law. I helped develop the Criminal Law curriculum at Schreiner University and love to help students understand the intricacies of the Texas and American criminal justice systems.

When I’m not teaching, I work as a Felony Defender at the Hill Country Regional Public Defender Office. The HCRPDO covers five counties in the Texas Hill Country, and I have been with that office since June of 2021. I have handled hundreds of felony and misdemeanor cases for the office in the last few years – everything from murder charges to simple theft charges. Prior to my career at the HCRPDO, I handled family law and probate law matters in Fort Worth, Texas.

I love spending my spare time at my family’s ranch in Boerne, Texas, and you can find me hunting, fishing, or golfing. Lucky for me, my fiancé, Madison, loves to be outdoors too.

I am a Kerrville native that graduated from Schreiner University with a Bachelor’s in English and a Master’s in Education. I currently work for Kerr County Juvenile Probation. Prior to that, I worked for Kerr County Adult Probation and served in The United States Army.