I hav
e volunteered for TLWH for over 12 years. Now, I’m an employed team member since the organization has grown and transformed. My job entails administrative, bookkeeping, event planning, writing newsletters, Human Resources, making chocolate for the Farmer’s Market or wherever I’m needed. I’ve always enjoyed helping people, so working for an organization that assists veterans and their families to empower themselves is a great mission for me. I’m a mentor in our program called “10 Challenges to Service” that Ron created to assist vets and families transition from military to civilian life.
I’m also a designer for my jewelry business established in 1999 called “Custom Tails Jewelry.” I enjoy the beach, scuba diving, bike riding, yoga, and lifting weights. And especially love traveling and camping with my boyfriend Ron Zaleski. My mom, Ron, and I live together with our kitten in Venice, FL I graduated in 1977 from East Detroit High in Michigan and went on to college for dental assisting. After a few years, I went back to school to become a Dental Laboratory Technician. I soon opened my own dental lab, making gold and porcelain crowns and running the business. After realizing that jewelry is made the same way that gold crowns were constructed, we began making dolphin tail jewelry which helped make the transition from dental to a jewelry company. My husband and I moved to the Florida Keys where we grew the business. I was also a certified reflexologist and energy healer. My husband passed away in 2010 so I gave up my healing business to dive into the jewelry full time.
I met Ron Z in Key Largo where we both lived. I was impressed with his organization and what he did. Our friendship began while I volunteered for the TLWH events he held. In 2015, I moved here to Venice to be near the beautiful beaches.
