In My Own Words…

Hey there, I’m Laura, it’s nice to meet you!

I guess I’m a bit of a renaissance woman – interested in everything! I’m a systems & cyber engineer, a program manager, a volunteer zookeeper (yes, I LITERALLY took care of lions and tigers and other animals in an AZA accredited zoo!), a psychologist, a dog collar designer, a small business owner, a trekker of the Himalayas (yep, I did the Mt. Everest base camp trek!), a dancer, and a decades-long student of animal behavior thanks to my many four-legged family members and my volunteering!

I have degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, and psychology and I’ve worked for over 2 decades as and IT & cybersecurity professional and technical program manager for both Fortune 500 companies and small start-ups. I’ve delivered live IT & system training to users and given briefings to audiences ranging from individual contributors, to managers, C-suite executives, and senior Government officials.

I LOVE animals and nature and volunteered for over 15 years as a zookeeper aide at the Smithsonian National Zoo caring for lions, tigers, giant anteaters, bats and an array of other exotic animals. I have also volunteered my time with a local therapeutic horseback riding program and been a foster mom for one of my local pet rescues.

In my spare time, you can find me out in nature, enjoying music festivals and local breweries and wineries, or visiting with and riding my horses. At the end of the day, I come home to my own zoo, which includes my dogs and cats, all of whom are rescues! They and my horses also inspired me to create my small business, Spaniel & Hound Designs, LLC., that makes beaded dog collars and horse browbands.

My varied experiences have given me a truly unique resume, deep subject matter expertise, the ability to understand and relate to varied audiences, and experience and ease with pronouncing and using technical, medical & scientific terms, as well as the ability to speak off the cuff and give believable cold reads. I am especially passionate about lending my voice to work that increases awareness and improves the lives of animals and children as well as people with disabilities and challenges.

…and after seeing “The Little Mermaid” back in 7th grade, I’m still holding onto a secret bucket list item to, one day, be the voice of a Disney princess! Although, now that I’m a grown up, I think I’d rather be a villainess!