Meet The Team
Executive Director
Eric Nation
Eric has been with the National Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children (NADEC) for over 13 years serving as the Director of Training and Development prior to his promotion to Executive Director in July, 2024.
Background:
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20+ years in Law Enforcement.
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Served as Lieutenant over a drug task force.
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Started a county-wide Drug Endangered Children Alliance, which is still serving children in the community over 15 years later.
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Recognized national trainer and speaker on substance use, multidisciplinary teams & capacity building to name a few.
Director of Operations
Carrie Jensen
Carrie brings an incredible 20+ years of expertise in child abuse prevention, training, curriculum development, and conference planning to NADEC.
Background:
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Worked for the Utah Attorney General’s Office in the Children’s Justice Center Program.
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Associate Director at Prevent Child Abuse Utah, teaching children to recognize and report abuse.
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Former member of various boards, coalitions, and task forces, including: Utah Opioid Task Force and the Utah Trafficking in Persons Task Force.
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Licensed Social Service Worker with a Bachelor’s in Social Work, Child and Family Studies.
Director of Training & Alliance Development
Nikki Romer
Nikki oversees our training and partnerships at the state, tribal, and local levels.
Background:
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Prior Adjunct Professor teaching criminal justice courses.
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Lead forensic interviewer at Blank Children’s STAR Child Advocacy Center where she interviewed child victims, provided expert testimony and addressed child neglect and exploitation.
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Victim Service Specialist with the Iowa Attorney General’s Crime Victim Assistance Division.
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Formed a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to help identify, respond to, and serve child victims of severe neglect, and she spearheaded efforts to address the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC).
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Holds degrees in Social Work (MS) & Psychology (BA).
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Spent 6 years as a Certified Peace Officer, serving as a patrol officer, hostage negotiator, and field training officer.
Business Strategy & HR Advisor
Dr. Darla Shaw
Darla is the CEO of Talent Masters, a premier business strategy and HR consulting firm, as well as the Co-Founder & President of Hope Masters, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to supporting the growth of other nonprofits through consulting and capacity building, and providing career support to individuals from underserved communities.
Background:
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Over 25 years of Business & HR leadership experience, serving as a Business Strategist and CHRO for high-growth companies across industries.
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Holds a PhD in Organizational Psychology, alongside 2 Masters degrees (an MBA and a Masters in Law).
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Expert in global Business & HR operations, business partnerships, and technology.
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Proven track record in: scaling organizations, navigating complex legal issues, and building partnerships.
Marketing & Branding Advisor
Lucy Rivers
Lucy is the Co-CEO of Talent Masters and VP of Hope Masters nonprofit, and an accomplished entrepreneur with 7+ years of experience in marketing, branding, and strategic vision. She advances NADEC's mission to support drug-endangered children with her creative expertise, branding and promotion skills, and strategic mindset.
Background:
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Built and successfully scaled 2 businesses and 1 nonprofit from the ground up.
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Holds a Bachelor's and a Master's in Media, with a current PhD in progress.
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Expertise in: leadership and collaboration, project management, content creation, social media strategy, social media marketing, and brand management.
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Crafts compelling narratives that engage diverse audiences and drive community involvement.
Training Manager
James Henning
James served nearly 32 years with the Denver Police Department, retiring in 2020 as a Commander. He held diverse assignments, including training, communications, administration, and Investigative Support Division.
Background:
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Appointed Lieutenant of the Vice/Drug Control Unit in 2012, leading implementation of Colorado’s first-in-the-nation legalization of recreational marijuana. Revised city policies surrounding drug-endangered children.
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Certified DEC instructor, collaborating with the Denver DEC team, Department of Human Services, Denver District Attorney’s Office, and service providers.
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Currently teaches nationally on marijuana legalization and its impact on drug-endangered children.
Operations Consultant
Susan Reetz
Susan has owned a small media production business for over 30 years producing films, writing articles, and managing online training projects on a wide range of topics for a variety of clients. She has worked on projects focusing on drug-endangered children for 15+ years, including the international award-winning documentary, Living In Shadows, and NADEC’s CheckDEC mobile app.
Background:
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Former foster parent
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Member of the International Documentary Association
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Published author
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MA in Communication
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Taught as a University Adjunct Faculty Member
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Project Specialist
Shaz Bachelani
Shaz is a data management professional with expertise in project management, data optimization, and process improvement.
He is passionate about driving operational efficiency and leveraging technology for growth in support of drug-endangered children.
Background:
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Extensive experience in: Administrative leadership, outreach coordination, data analysis, and process optimization.
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Proven ability to implement systems that enhance efficiency and support business growth.
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Collaborative leader committed to team success and organizational goals.
Finance Manager
Jim McDonald
Jim brings over 50 years of experience in accounting and finance, having served as CFO, VP of Finance, and Controller across diverse industries.
Since 2010, Jim has consulted for various organizations, including NADEC, and taught accounting and finance at universities in Colorado for 20 years.
Background:
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Accredited CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, with a B.A. in Accounting, and an MBA in Finance.
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Former U.S. Army veteran, who served 3 years in Germany.
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is composed of passionate leaders from across disciplines who are united by one mission: protecting drug-endangered children. Their commitment ensures that every decision we make centers on creating safer, healthier futures for children and families affected by substance misuse.
President of NADEC
Carlton Hall
Carlton is the CEO of Carlton Hall Consulting LLC (CHC), a full-service consulting firm providing customized solutions for communities and organizations, as well as the President of the Board at NADEC.
With over 25 years of experience in substance abuse prevention and community problem-solving, he is a sought-after trainer both nationally and internationally, including work in South Africa, India, Sweden, Turkey, Bermuda, Kenya and Ghana.
Formerly a senior leader at CADCA, Carlton now leads CHC’s support for the Southeast PTTC (Region 4).
He regularly contributes to United Nations events on drug policy and serves on the boards of both the National Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children and Movendi International.
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Vice-President of NADEC
Tabatha Curtis
Tabatha is the former Director of the Franklin County Prevention Coalition and current Statewide Coordinator for DEC within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. She has over 20 years of experience working in the field of prevention and over 33 years’ experience working with youth and families.
Alongside her extensive knowledge and experience as a trainer in the outcomes-based Strategic Prevention Framework planning process, Tabatha is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, a graduate of CADCA Academy and the TBI Director's Leadership Academy, and a Level II Certified Prevention Specialist.
Tabatha plays a vital role in fostering collaboration among agencies statewide to protect children impacted by substance use. She has doubled the amount of TN DEC response communities (6 to 12) under her leadership. The programs she oversees provide a multi-faucet approach to meeting the needs of children and families related to substance use prevention, and are crucial to efforts to protect the nation’s children.
Secretary of NADEC
Chuck Daugherty
Chuck recently retired from the position of Executive Director of ACT Missouri and the Missouri DEC Alliance, and has over 30 years' experience working in social services, specializing in chemical dependency prevention, education, intervention and treatment.
He is a qualified Prevention Ethics Master Trainer, Approved Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Trainer (SAPST), and NADEC National Trainer.
has worked extensively across the Southwest, including as Deputy Director of the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, co-chairing the Dallas County Alliance, training for the Texas Alliance, and continuing his work with the Missouri Alliance and NADEC.
He has delivered training and workshops in the area of addiction and prevention at local, state and national conferences, including The National Prevention Network (NPN), Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), The Missouri Spring Training Institute, and The Texas Behavioral Health Institute.
Treasurer of NADEC
Patty McCarthy
Patty is the CEO of Faces & Voices of Recovery, a national recovery advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Prior to this, she served as a deputy director of SAMHSA’s BRSS TACS initiative.
She also served for a decade as the director of Friends of Recovery-Vermont (FOR-VT), a statewide recovery community organization conducting training, advocacy and public awareness activities.
In addition to public policy and education, her work has focused on community mobilizing, peer-based recovery support services, and peer workforce development, being instrumental in the development of a national accreditation for recovery community organizations and in the development of peer support standards.
Patty holds a master’s in community counseling and a bachelor’s in business administration. She has been in long-term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction since 1989.
Board Member of NADEC
Allison Smith
Allison has both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Human Development and Social Policy from the University of Utah, where she taught for many years.
She has had an extensive career in advocacy for children and families, working in various capacities at both state and local levels with individuals affected by human trafficking, substance use disorders, and the various challenges that accompany them.
Allison joined OUR Rescue in 2021 as the Regional Director for Survivor Care in North America and now leads the Education and Prevention in development and implementation of quality education programs, customized trainings, and presentations to raise awareness and prevent child sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
She is a member of the Utah Opioid Task Force, the Utah Trafficking in Persons Task Force as well as a Board Member of NADEC.
Board Member of NADEC
Steven Juneau
Steven is the President/CEO of the National Native Justice Institute, a non-profit company dedicated to supporting public safety throughout Indian Country. He has spent more than three decades serving in many roles in the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) before retiring in 2023.
He formerly served as the Acting Director for BIA-Office of Justice Services leading the 900+ personnel federal agency to uphold public safety and tribal sovereignty throughout Indian Country.
He served as Commissioner on the joint DOJ-DOI Secretarial Commission on Missing Persons - a Presidential Priority, and led the revision of the MOU with the Federal Bureau of Investigation which had a national criminal investigation impact for all Native American Tribes. Steven also served as the Associate Director for Professional Standards Directorate leading national training, policy, recruitment, retention, inspections, and cultural investigations.
As the Academy Director of the United States Indian Police Academy, Steven developed the bureau’s first Advanced Training Center in North Dakota and Command Schools. Prior to this, he also served as the Deputy Associate Director in Washington, DC; and Special Agent in Charge for the Phoenix (AZ) and Billings (MT) Districts.
Board Member of NADEC
Cindy Giese
Cindy is a distinguished and respected law enforcement leader with more than 40 years of service. She retired in 2024 as Wisconsin’s Deputy Administrator-Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). During her career, she served DCI as a sworn law enforcement Special Agent and later as a Special Agent in Charge, as a Juneau County Sheriff’s Deputy, and as a Child Care Worker with Lutheran Social Services.
Cindy initiated Wisconsin’s Drug-Endangered Children Program from concept in 2002, building it to more than 60 established programs today, receiving special recognition for Wisconsin’s Native American program development as well as overall county program growth.
Recognized at local, state and national levels, including as ‘one of the premier law enforcement officials in Wisconsin,’ Cindy continues to be active in professional and community associations, delivering advanced training and workshops, and is a sought-after resource. Cindy holds a BS in Sociology/Criminal Justice from UW-Eau Claire. She currently serves as the elected Buffalo County Coroner in Wisconsin, a position she has held since 2017 after serving on the Coroner’s team since 2001.
Cindy served on NADEC’S Board of Directors during 2016 and transitioned to serving as NADEC’S Interim Executive Director until 2019, simultaneously while at DCI. She is very excited to be a Board Member for NADEC once again.