Directors’ Biographies

I have worked in the legal profession for 35 years – nearly 30 as a paralegal. My career began with a solo general practitioner in Kirksville, Missouri, in 1983 after graduating from a two-year legal secretarial program at Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State). After moving to Texas in 1984, I completed a two-year paralegal/legal assistant program (Litigation Specialty) at Southern Methodist University in Dallas (program is now defunct), and in 1996 I earned the CLA/CP credential through NALA, which I maintain to this day by satisfying the required continuing education requirements. Except for a 3-year stint at a hospital where I fulfilled a variety of roles in Compliance, Medical Staff Credentialing, and Meaningful Use and handled issues related to the facility’s Medicare enrollments, I have worked in litigation my entire career for both plaintiff and defense firms on cases involving medical malpractice, wrongful death, personal injury, work comp, Social Security Disability, and general business litigation. Responsibilities have included assisting with all phases of the litigation process from inception to trial. I freelanced for a number of years as well. In January 2016 I accepted a paralegal position in the Tort Section at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City, where I remain employed today and assist in the defense of personal injury cases (including some maritime cases, which are a little more interesting).

 

I have been married for 35 years and have two adult sons. I love to hike, explore quirky locations, and watch foreign films and scary movies. My passion is world travel, and in May I will travel to the Northern Territory and Western Australia outback for a hiking and camping adventure in The Kimberly region.

 

I served on the MPA Election Committee for the past two years and welcome the prospect of serving on the Board.

I graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in December 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Sociology. Immediately following graduation, I was a Substance Abuse Counselor within the Missouri Department of Corrections and then a probation and parole officer for 10 years. Most recently I was the lead officer for the Buchanan County Domestic Violence Court program.

 

In January 2014, I returned to school to obtain an Associate’s degree in Legal Studies and Paralegal Certificate. I am scheduled to graduate with such in December 2017. In September 2016, I accepted a position with the Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as a Paralegal. Being new to the field, serving on the Board is an honor and wonderful experience to grow as a paralegal.

I graduated from Missouri Western State College in December 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with emphasis on Legal Studies. I also have an Associate’s Degree in Art from Maple Woods Community College. I also have my Paralegal Certificate from Missouri Western.

 

I have worked at Office of The Chapter 13 Trustee since May 1998. I worked my way from file clerk to my current job, Paralegal Bankruptcy Specialist. I have been a paralegal since January 2004. I have only worked in Chapter 13 bankruptcy law. I am married and have a 5-year-old little girl. I also have a dog and a cat. I like to read, hang with friends, watch TV. I am currently the social media person for the Missouri Paralegal Association. Also, I am currently serving as the Missouri Paralegal Association treasurer.

I have a BA in Administration of Justice from the University of Missouri in Kansas City. I am a licensed private investigator. I am a certified interview and interrogation specialist – as well as a certified fraud and theft examiner through the Reid Institute. I sit on the National American University Paralegal Studies Advisory Committee. I am a voting member of KCPA and committee member of the Missouri Innocence Project. I was voted Paralegal of the Month by Coronado Katz, 3/2018, 11/2018 and 7/2017.
 
I am currently employed at Coronado Katz, LLC, a business litigation firm. I use my paralegal and investigative skills to increase my abilities to provide the highest quality of work to my employer and clients. I love to guide and assist others to their very best, all while keeping in mind that our clients deserve nothing less.
 
I was widowed in December 2017. I have 3 grown children. My interests include scrapbooking, grandkids and crafting.

I am a litigation paralegal at the law firm of Sandberg Phoenix, primarily focusing on the defense of medical malpractice, prisoner civil rights, and business matters. I also serve as one of the firms Legal Project Management (LPM) Coaches.
 
I obtained a B.S. in History and Social Studies Education from Missouri Valley College and paralegal certification through Adams State College. In 2011, I obtained national certification as a Registered Paralegal (RP) through NFPA. In 2014, I was honored with the St. Louis Paralegal Association’s Paralegal Legend award.
 
An active member of several professional associations, I bring over 15 years of experience in the legal field to the table and work hard promoting the profession. I have served as a mentor to paralegal students and junior paralegals, have presented at CLE seminars locally and nationwide on many topics, and have been given research credit in publications and training materials. Professional affiliations include Missouri Paralegal Association, St. Louis Paralegal Association, National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Women in eDiscovery, MoBar Paralegal Committee, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, and EDEN. I have sat, and continue to sit, on several advisory and professional education boards.

I have over six years of paralegal experience. I began my career as a paralegal for a large defense firm, primarily handling complex civil litigation cases in both State and Federal Court as well as workers’ compensation and mass tort claims, before choosing to follow my passion in helping others. I began working in Family Law in 2014. Every day I strive to help others including my attorneys, co-workers and clients.
 
Our paralegal profession is on the rise and growing every day. Throughout my experience, I have gained extensive training, knowledge and first-hand experience on the fundamentals, practices and ethical responsibilities of being part of this profession. It is my hope that I can utilize my experiences to help other paralegals navigate and succeed.

Kathy has been the paralegal for a nursing home corporation for over eight years. Her job duties include approving requests for medical records along with ordering medical records for cases. She works with three in-house attorneys handling nursing home litigation, employment claims, contracts, insurance and corporate governance.

I graduated from the University of Missouri Kansas City with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 2008. I received my Paralegal Certification from Johnson County Community College in 2010. I briefly worked for a foreclosure and bankruptcy attorney while attending JCCC.
 
I married and moved to Springfield, MO in 2010. From 2010-2016 I worked as a paralegal at McAnany, Van Cleave, and Phillips handling workers’ compensation files and training all incoming paralegals. Since August 2016, I have worked as a paralegal at Ellis, Ellis, Hammons & Johnson. My husband Phil is the Greene Co. First Asst. Prosecuting Attorney, Major Crimes Unit. My hobbies include reading, golf, travel, Netflix and spending time with friends and family.

I graduated Missouri State University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. During the time I was in college, I was also working full time as a paralegal for the Prosecuting Attorney in Stone County.
 
When it came time to pursue a career in business, I just couldn’t leave litigation. I was hooked! I was a trial assistant with the prosecutor’s office for seventeen years and directly assisted the Prosecutor in over one hundred jury trials. Subsequently, I moved to Springfield and took a job as a litigation paralegal with Polsinelli, PC where I worked on several document intensive commercial litigation cases. After five years, Polsinelli pulled out of the Springfield market and I took a position at Lowther Johnson assisting with commercial litigation as well as insurance defense and personal injury.
 
I am new to MPA but I understand the importance of coming together as peers uniting for a common purpose. I am a member of the Junior League of Springfield where I sit as committee chair and will be moving into a board position in the fall. I am married with two adult children and three amazing grandchildren.

I graduated from William Woods University with a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies in June of 2017. I have been a paralegal for 10 years. I started my career as a legal secretary with the Public Defender’s office and then transitioned into a Paralegal role emphasizing in Criminal Law. After four and a half years with the Public Defender’s office in Greene County, I accepted a position with Polsinelli in Springfield, MO. I mainly focused on litigation and appellate work. After the closing of the Polsinelli Springfield office, I moved to Lowther Johnson, a large local firm in Springfield. I had a variety of roles that I filled as a paralegal focusing mainly on personal injury. I have worked in many areas of the law, including family law, criminal law, civil litigation, appeals, probate, and contract law. I have an extensive background in trial work.
 
I am now employed with Jack Henry and Associates, a large banking software company. I serve as a paralegal in the legal department preparing contracts and other litigation issues throughout the company.
 
I am also a member and in leadership with the Junior League of Springfield where we promote volunteerism and prepare women for leadership roles within the community.