Betty is a licensed attorney who uses her two decades of experience in law, government, and nonprofit to serve people who want to influence positive change by speaking up and speaking out. She helps them craft and polish their message while ensuring that their authentic voices shine through – no matter the format, medium, or audience.
Betty earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2005 with a Concentration in Business Transactions. While in law school, she served on the staff of the Tennessee Law Review and received the National Association of Women Lawyers award and a Dean’s Citation for Excellence in Community Service.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Georgia, where she graduated cum laude, with honors, in 2002. She was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Betty began her career with the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Presidential Management Fellow. Her leadership and dedication led to multiple promotions, eventually to Executive Management Officer (Chief of Staff) to the Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity. From there, Betty transitioned to the nonprofit sector, with roles as Director of National Capital Relationships for Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors and Executive Director for the HillVets Foundation.
During her 17+ years serving the military-connected community, she published numerous articles and spoke and presented at a variety of conventions and events. In 2021, Betty was selected as a George W. Bush Institute Stand-To VLP Scholar, which included the opportunity to present a Personal Leadership Project to a broad audience of colleagues, stakeholders, and funders.
Betty has mastered the art of public speaking to influence government policy; to teach cross-functional teams to better communicate with and serve stakeholders; to convince donors and partners to contribute to impactful organizations; and to mentor countless other public servants and nonprofit professionals to make a bigger impact.
Through She Speaks, she channels her deep experience and mission-driven background to help clients with impact leadership, meaningful career development, and authentically confident communication.
Betty is a Certified Sommelier, always seeking to highlight the many commonalities between wine and career success. She is also an active member of the National Speakers Association. She lives in San Francisco, California, with her husband and their two rescue pets.
Helping people speak up
and speak out to influence
positive change.
