She earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech in 1987 and pursued her career and licensure in California, working on public safety, justice, and educational projects in the San Francisco Bay area. For over 15 years, she contributed to the design of state-of-the-art award-winning projects in California, such as the Alameda County Emergency Operations Center, which became an international prototype after its creation in response to the Oakland firestorm, and the iconic San Francisco Sheriff’s Facility, which integrated restorative meditation, art, and movement spaces and became a national model for rehabilitation.