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.

Eric's Background:

20+ years in Law Enforcement.
Served as Lieutenant over a drug task force.
Started a county-wide Drug Endangered Children Alliance, which is still serving children in the community over 15 years later.
Recognized national trainer and speaker on substance use, multidisciplinary teams & capacity building to name a few.

Director of Alliance Development

Nikki Romer

Nikki Romer joined NADEC as the Director of Alliance Development, where she oversees partnerships at the state, tribal, and local levels.

Nikki's Background:

Prior Adjunct Professor teaching criminal justice courses.
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.
Victim Service Specialist with the Iowa Attorney General’s Crime Victim Assistance Division.
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).
Holds degrees in Social Work (MS) & Psychology (BA).
Spent 6 years as a Certified Peace Officer, serving as a patrol officer, hostage negotiator, and field training officer.

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.

Lucy's Background:

Built and successfully scaled 2 businesses and 1 nonprofit from the ground up.
Holds a Bachelor's and a Master's in Media, with a current PhD in progress.
Expertise in: leadership and collaboration, project management, content creation, social media strategy, social media marketing, and brand management.
Crafts compelling narratives that engage diverse audiences and drive community involvement.

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.

Shaz's Background:

Extensive experience in: Administrative leadership, outreach coordination, data analysis, and process optimization.
Proven ability to implement systems that enhance efficiency and support business growth.
Collaborative leader committed to team success and organizational goals.

Director of Operations

Carrie Jensen

Carrie Jensen is the Director of Operations for NADEC, bringing 20 years of expertise in child abuse prevention, training, curriculum development, and conference planning.

Carrie's Background:

Worked for the Utah Attorney General’s Office in the Children’s Justice Center Program.
Associate Director at Prevent Child Abuse Utah, teaching children to recognize and report abuse.
Former member of various boards, coalitions, and task forces, including: Utah Opioid Task Force and the Utah Trafficking in Persons Task Force.
Licensed Social Service Worker with a Bachelor’s in Social Work, Child and Family Studies.

Business Strategist & HR Advisor

Dr. Darla Shaw

Dr. Darla Shaw is the CEO of Talent Masters, a premier business strategy, HR consulting, and recruiting firm, where she specializes in optimizing organizational strategies and driving transformative growth. She is also the Founder & President of Hope Masters, the nonprofit foundation dedicated to supporting the growth of other nonprofits through consulting and capacity building, and providing career support to individuals from underserved communities.

Darla's Background:

Over 25 years of Business & HR leadership experience, serving as a Business Strategist and fractional CHRO for high-growth companies across industries.
Holds a PhD in Organizational Psychology, alongside two Masters degrees (an MBA and a Masters in Law).
Expertise in global Business & HR operations, business partnerships, and technology.
Proven track record in: scaling organizations, navigating complex legal issues, and building partnerships.

Training Manager

James Henning

James Henning 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.

James's background:

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 (DEC).
Certified DEC instructor, collaborating with the Denver DEC team, Department of Human Services, Denver District Attorney’s Office, and service providers.
Currently teaches nationally on marijuana legalization and its impact on Drug Endangered Children.

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.

Jim's Background:

Accredited CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, with a B.A. in Accounting, and an MBA in Finance.
Former U.S. Army veteran, who served 3 years in Germany.

NADEC's 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.

Carlton Hall

President of NADEC

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.

cropHZSMBLEN-Presenter-CurtisT(1)_edited

Tabatha Curtis

Vice-President of NADEC

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.

Chuck Daugherty

Secretary of NADEC

Chuck is a retired 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.

Throughout his career, Chuck managed program management of various sized community service agencies and supervised a multi-county community mobilization program. 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.

His passion for protecting and supporting children is second to none.

Patty McCarthy

Treasurer of NADEC

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.

Patty 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.

Allison Smith

Board Member of NADEC

Allison has had an extensive career in advocacy for children and families, including becoming the Statewide Coordinator for the Office of Drug Endangered Children for the Nevada Attorney General. She has both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Human Development and Social Policy from the University of Utah, where she also taught for many years.

She is currently the Senior Director of Education for Our Rescue, an organization eradicating sexual exploitation, where she conducts training to educate organizations, agencies and communities regarding human trafficking and best practices for supporting survivors. She has also been the Education and Outreach Specialist for the Trafficking in Person’s Program at the Asian Association of Utah in the past.

The relentless passion Allison exhibits for the DEC mission is truly remarkable.

We are all so proud to be working towards a better future where children, families and communities live happier, healthier lives!

Get Involved!