Social Security Disability Consultant and Representative
Member and former Secretary of the
National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR)
I graduated from the University of California at Irvine, with a degree in Social Ecology. Following graduation, I was hired by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as an Adjudicator with the Disability Determination Service (DDS) in Columbus, Ohio, and was later promoted into a training position. While at the DDS, I served on a committee to explore moving to an electronic claim folder and filing applications electronically, initiatives that Social Security Commissioner Joanne Barnhardt has indicated are vital to improve the current disability process, and has since implemented.
In 1994, family circumstances brought me to Atlanta, Georgia, where I switched from bureaucracy to advocacy, working for attorneys assisting claimants in appealing unfavorable decisions. In that capacity, I developed and prepared thousands of cases for Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearings, wrote hundreds of successful on-the-record briefs, and trained and supervised staff and associate attorneys in the complexities of the Social Security disability program. I later worked at UNUMProvident and The Hartford in Long-Term Disability claims examination and on numerous special projects, but much preferred advocacy. I was then courted to open the Southeastern satellite office of a prominent Social Security Disability advocacy firm, hiring, training and mentoring associates and staff while establishing procedures and successfully representing hundreds of claimants in obtaining their benefits. I have operated my own private practice in Georgia for several years, representing thousands of claimants throughout the South and proudly serving as the Secretary of the National Association of Disability Representatives. In addition to my duties as Secretary, I have served on numerous committees for NADR, including Membership, Certification, and Conference planning. I have been a presenter at conferences and for various local social service organizations, with topics including Winning Early, Written Persuasion, and Mock Hearings.
I am very proud to have met the stringent criteria to participate in the Social Security Fee Withholding Demonstration Project, which included passing a written examination created by the Social Security Administration to test my knowledge of all aspects of the disability and SSI programs. I participate in annual continuing education, enabling me to stay abreast of the constant changes in the law, regulations and rulings in order to provide the best possible representation to people with impairments. I have also hosted review sessions on behalf of NADR for Demonstration Project applicants in Atlanta and Nashville, in order to help them prepare for the written examination.
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