Qualifying Experience

►I attended my first Gamblers Anonymous meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, on January 11, 1991.

►In June of 1992, with three friends, we started the first Women Preferred GA meeting and I'm told it's the first meeting of it's type that have met on a weekly basis since it's first meeting.

►For more than ten years I have been publishing a newsletter, Women Helping Women, on the Internet for female compulsive gamblers.  Current and past issues are available at my sister site:   femalegamblers.org.

►On July 30, 1998, I was invited to speak in Phoenix, AZ, at the National Gambling Impact Study Commission established by Congress.

►On June 12, 2001, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse invited me to sit on a discussion panel at Columbia University in NY, "High Stakes: Substance Abuse and Gambling".  Lesley Stahl, correspondent and co-editor for the CBS News program "60 Minutes," narrated the panel.
 

►  I served as a trustee for Gamblers Anonymous for four years and I represented Arizona, New Mexico and part of San Diego. I also traveled around the U.S. and Canada to national conferences. I helped start many new GA meetings around the state of Arizona. I opened a Women's Only GA group in Phoenix and I'm told it was the first women's group anywhere in the world that held weekly meetings. I also started the first GA meeting for women in the Arizona prison system.

► Over the past 15 years, I have presented several workshops at the Gamblers Anonymous conferences in the State of Arizona.

►Attended several training sessions sponsored by the Arizona Council on Compulsive Gambling for the certification of gambling counselors. I am currently answering a hot-line phone number for gamblers seeking help. Spoke to students at the Arizona State University on gambling issues.
 

►Co-authored an article on compulsive gambling for the Phoenix Magazine. I have been interviewed by national magazines including the Ladies Home Journal, several newspapers, radio and TV.  Most recently finished interviews with PBS; Health Week, the Louisville Tribune, KY, the Philadelphia Daily News, the Tucson Citizen, and the Los Angeles Times.

 

►I spoke at the December 1, 2003 Western States Conference on "Seniors at Risk: Gambling's Hidden Addiction," and at the 18^th Annual Conference on Problem Gambling in Phoenix, AZ, presented by: National Council on Problem Gambling and Arizona Council on Problem Gambling.
 

►In September of 2006, I shared my story at the Northwest Regional Gamblers Anonymous Mini Conference in Spokane, Washington.

 

►May 2007, I participated in an on-line interview with a Canadian web site,  Encognitive.com, relating to gambling and to my book, Gripped by Gambling.

►The July 2007 Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, listed my book in their Problem Gamblers Library and again in January 2008.

►On August 30, 2007, I sat on a panel at the 11th Annual Problem Gambling conference "Treating Female Compulsive Gamblers, Ethics and Supervision, sponsored by the Responsible Gambling Association of New Mexico.

►Keith Whyte, the Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, mentioned Gripped by Gambling  in the 2007 Fall Issue of their National Newsletter.

►The Indiana Council on Problem Gambling, Inc., included an article on Gripped by Gambling in their summer issue of their ICPG Newsletter and also mentioned the Women Helping Women Newsletter.

►On September 22, 2007, I was invited by Bobbe McGinley, Clinical Director/CEO of ACT Counseling & Education, to sit on a panel of four to discuss senior gambling and cultural differences in treating compulsive gamblers.

►Gripped by Gambling is stocked at GiftsAnon Stores in Phoenix and Scottsdale, and at Mostly Books in Tucson.

►A Canadian Magazine, More, published an article on gambling in their October 2007 issue and included information on the Women Helping Women Newsletter.

►In October 2007, the Phoenix Library and the Sun City library, both put Gripped by Gambling on their shelves.  The Mississippi Council for Problem and Compulsive Gambling, purchased 500 copies of the book and placed them in the High School, College, and University Libraries.  Scotland has the books available in some of their libraries also. The Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia added the book to their shelves.

►On December 1, 2007, Kim Stewart, publisher of the International P.O.W.E.R. magazine, included an article on Gripped by Gambling in her December 2007 and January 2008 issues.

►On December 11, 2007, a GA friend and I were invited to speak by Satellite, on the Mike and Julienne Show on Channel 10, FOX.  The topic was Moms Who Gamble. 

►The Philadelphia Daily News mentioned my book in the January 8, 2008 edition of their paper, regarding a women arrested for embezzling over 500 thousand dollars to support her gambling addiction.

►Sat on a panel at the Arizona Office of Problem Gambling Symposium on March 3, 2008.

►On April 28, 2008, I sat on a panel to discuss women gamblers at the annual conference of the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling, held in Seattle, Washington.  They were gracious enough to allow me to display my book, Gripped by Gambling, at a table in the exhibit room.

►In May, 2008 I discussed female compulsive gamblers with a PBS reporter on a documentary that explores American's emotional health.

►I wrote an article for the Philadelphia Inquirer about females becoming addicted to slot machines. The article appeared in the May 1, 2008 edition.

► Interviewed by a reporter from the Sunday Herald in Glasgow, Scotland, for an article on a new Women Preferred Group being opened in Glasgow in May, 2008.

►On June 26-28, 2008, I sat on a panel at the National Conference on  Problem Gambling held in Long Beach, CA.

►The 2008 Midwest Conference on Problem Gambling and Substance Abuse, invited me to sit on a couple of panels at the conference on August 13-15, 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri.

►On July 14, 2008, Jesse Fortner from Process Addictions, sent me an e-mail inviting me to speak in Las Vegas at a conference in April 2009.

►On July 16, I spoke with an interviewer from 60 Minutes and answered several questions about female slot players.

►July 21, Ron and Rev. Janet Jacobs, Director of Gambling Recovery Ministries (with the United Methodist Church) asked me to write an article for their September issue of their newsletter.

►Daryl Boshart, from the Canadian research facility and hospital, will list my Newsletter with the mentioning of Gripped by Gambling, in a link on their site in August. 

►Received an e-mail from Melissa Martin at the NCPG National News, to write a  250-750 article for their upcoming Newsletter.

►Will be speaking at the Rotary Club in Peoria, AZ on September 9, 2008.

►Invited to speak at the Masonic Lodge in Peoria, AZ on October 27, 2008.