Hi! I'm Jo and I adore critters -- just like my Mom does! I also have a natural penchant for being prepared as well as a deep respect for risk management principles -- thank you, Dad! I have a broad knowledge of the housing industry and am fascinated with emergency response and disaster management. I am fervent about matters of dignity, respect, equity, and justice for all -- for historically underserved and marginalized peoples, as well as for our nonhuman friends.
My career is one of commingled passions. I’m grateful to be able to express those passions with mediums I have long loved and enjoyed – speaking, writing, and ‘net-weaving.’ The overarching theme in my career is one of overcoming fear in order to live life enthusiastically. To wholeheartedly love yourself and others while pursuing your dreams -- the limitations that fear would impose be damned!
My career is one of commingled passions. I’m grateful to be able to express those passions with mediums I have long loved and enjoyed – speaking, writing, and ‘net-weaving.’ The overarching theme in my career is one of overcoming fear in order to live life enthusiastically. To wholeheartedly love yourself and others while pursuing your dreams -- the limitations that fear would impose be damned!
Animals, disasters, and housing, huh? Are these topics and industries even remotely related?
They are for me -- They blend the prevalent aspects of my personal and professional life over the past few decades. I didn’t set out to form a company or forge a career based on this alchemy. This weird science brew rose up on its own following years of finding, following , honing, and honoring my passions.
When I was little, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’ve always envied those who seem to have sprung from the womb with an innate understanding of their calling. For me, as with many I know and admire, the path hasn't been straight or singular.
As a little girl I wanted to be a veterinarian because I loved animals so. However, it didn't take my lil’ ponytail-clad head long to realize I’d more oft then not see the critters when they were sick, injured, or dying; and, with that, I shelved the idea entirely.
Many years later, the process of selecting a major in college left an impression on me. I still didn’t know what I wanted to be or do. Faced with the expectation of declaring a major before classes had even began I distinctly remember pondering the situation rationally as I strode across my now alma mater’s beautiful campus (www.LClark.edu). I decided then and there that a background in business would serve me well wherever life took me – regardless of industry and whether I landed in the corporate world, the small business arena, or doing nonprofit work. In fact, I felt certain at that age a number of careers lay ahead me and the foundation a business degree would offer was very attractive.
By the time I graduated with that BA I'd decided to join my parents in their real estate sales practice (Mom had been licensed for eight years; Dad had joined her just the year before). It wasn’t until many, many years later that it truly dawned on me that I had grown up with housing-industry influences that spanned three generations and entrepreneurial roots that went back four. So real estate it was! To start…
I spent eight years working alongside my parents / partners assisting residential buyers and sellers, applying business principles, and honing a zeal for marketing and networking. My first career taught me the value of competent representation, contracts and risk management, partnership and collaboration (I’ve been described by some as a Master Networker, though I prefer the term net-weaving these days). It also introduced me to the thrills and chills of running a small business including variable income (the fear of the unknown paycheck) and cold calling (the ever-present fear of rejection) along with supreme autonomy, ultimate flexibility, and rewarding self-actualization.
In 2004, my parents and I simply burned out -- luckily we all did so simultaneously. We actually thought we’d be in business forever, so it took a real adjustment to decide that we even could change directions (fear of letting down friends, clients, and colleagues compounded by the Great Unknown of ‘what's next?’). We thoughtfully wrapped up our business and then each proceeded to recreate ourselves. I landed in the nonprofit sector, but still very much involved in housing, which was unexpected but proved to be a wonderful fit.
As a Realtor® I had worked to further issues of equity and diversity at my local trade association and, in doing so, had partnered with Oregon's statewide, nonprofit fair housing organization (www.FHCO.org). It turned out, there was a spot for me at the Fair Housing Council of Oregon when the time came to shift gears. It also turned out there was a lot more to civil rights in housing than I’d fully comprehended as an agent. I enjoyed delving into the nuances of federal, state, and local fair housing laws in order to help educate both housing consumers and providers about their rights and responsibilities. I especially enjoyed training providers – Realtors®, portfolio managers, leasing agents, maintenance crews, private landlords, homeowners’ associations, builders, architects, designers, contractors, and the like.
I developed a reputation as an open-minded advocate that appreciated business concerns. 'Someone who could deliver a dry legal subject in a balanced, informative, and entertaining way. Over time, my aim -- and my personal specialty -- became providing historical and relatable context, understandable concepts, and bottom line considerations despite complex, confusing, and often contradictory laws.
In my decade-long tenure at FHCO I trained over 10,000 individuals on their rights and responsibilities under fair housing law to rave reviews by groups ranging in size from two to several hundred. Some of my most notable class evaluations came from attendees who were shocked they’d stayed conscious for an entire three- or four-hour session. Along the way, FHCO supported me by putting me through in-depth adult learning education programs offered by the Association for Talent Development where I was schooled in classroom facilitation and earned their Master Trainer Certification. I was told often that my passion for fair housing was evident whenever I was in front of a crowd but that shouldn’t imply that I was a natural born speaker. I deliberately worked from the time I was in high school till I was well into my thirties to overcome what is ranked as Americans’ greatest fear. And so, I dove into my second career!
And yet, during the same time that I was learning about and disseminating fair housing information on the job, I devoted a tremendous amount of personal time to studying emergency management and disaster response. My interest stemmed from a very personal and specific concern – I had several household pets and the thought of losing them tragically in an unexpected emergency was simply unthinkable. In fact, the very thought of it took my breath away. I set out to know what to do – to increase my confidence that I’d be able to do what was needed – if one of them was injured or if calamity called for all of us to evacuate. Above all else, I didn’t want to freeze up; to be ineffectual; to be useless if my Furry Friends were suffering or in pain. That, for me, was my nightmare and I was not willing to be undermined or disempowered by those fears.
My emergency preparedness education began with a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course in 2005 (www.FEMA.gov/community-emergency-response-teams). After that I was simply bit by the bug. To date I have completed over 200 classes -- some specific to animals, others dedicated to emergency preparedness or disaster response. Among those courses were intensive, week-long, all-hazards Incident Command System (ICS) position-specific classes offered by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA). I was even among the first 500 individuals in the country to complete FEMA's Basic Academy for emergency managers in 2017.
I went gone on to resuscitate my town's CERT program in 2014; participate in various search and rescue and animal law conferences; help plan and execute full-scale disaster exercises (people- and animal-centric); train and deploy with two technical animal response teams; complete an intensive mountaineering program offered by the renowned NW Mazamas climbing club (www.mazamas.org/BCEP); and deploy nationally to assist with emergency animal shelter missions with the Humane Society of the US (www.humanesociety.org) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (www.aspca.org).
At home, I have loved and cared for over twenty pets throughout my lifetime. While the joy I derive from animals is unparalleled, my commitment to my Furry Friends since my twenties has required a great detail of decision making, tough budgeting, and a lot of end-of-life care as those pets reached the end of their lives. Since 2006 I've also acted as a 'surrogate livestock handler' when neighbors are away -- that ongoing experience has been the source of some of my most dramatic and personally challenging technical rescues. (So much for the fear of seeing critters when they’re sick and injured!)
On-the-job at the Fair Housing Council I came to appreciate the power of cause-based work. Besides grooming me as a speaker, my time there also provided numerous outlets for other components of marketing I’ve always loved including writing and networking, all rooted in purpose and passion. While I remain a supporter of the fair housing movement and a friend to the housing industry, I found that the knowledge base I’d amassed on animals and disasters had earned me the label of ‘expert’ in many people’s minds. What's more, my interest had become a calling that I had to give voice to, and so began my current career.
The day after Christmas 2015, I decided to take the plunge and launch a business focused on animals-in-disasters (despite the fear of loosing stable income and generous benefits). My instinct was to reach out to the disaster community – volunteer organizations, jurisdictions, law enforcement agencies and fire departments, as well as the emergency management industry – to offer presentations that addressed why and how to prepare for the unexpected and the unthinkable focused on animals. Yet over the course of the months that followed, I found that my path was, again, not straightforward.
First, to my surprise, it seemed I had a great deal to say about animal body language. I’m not an animal trainer or behaviorist or a vet -- I have the utmost respect for each specialty. But I discovered that my own version of explaining critter communications was fundamental enough to apply to household pets, livestock, and wildlife with benefit to those wanting to enhance critter-human bonds as well as those concerned for keeping critters safe before, during, or after a disaster. I then realized the same principles were invaluable to entirely unexpected audiences. Everyone from utility and public works employees to appliance repair and cleaning crews, from home health workers to government inspectors -- anyone who routinely encounters unfamiliar animals in the course of their work by virtue of enter others’ properties and the sanctuary of others’ homes. Postal and package deliverers may be stopped by an overzealous pet; a professional responder might be greeted a guard dog on duty; line crews or inspectors could run into livestock on rural properties. The fundamentals of critter body language can do much to increase personal safety (and good customer and community relations) while on the job. I found that animal body language was equal to animals-in-disasters in my repertoire of topics, both in terms of my own interest as well as market demand.
Secondly, as my business continued to evolve, events conspired to keep me involved with the housing industry. Of course, apartment managers, maintenance crews, and Realtors® encounter residents’ and clients’ critters with the same significant on-the-job concern as other industries. In addition, I was invited to speak to Realtors® in the summer of 2016 on personal safety, client and property safety, and data safety. While not animal specific, the common threads of safety awareness, risk management, personal protection, and preparation struck me like a elephant gently, patiently tapping its trunk on my shoulder.
Further, the prospect of continuing to provide fair housing training to the housing industry appealed to me and I was encouraged to pursue it nationally* {Heartfelt thanks to both Nadeen (www.facebook.com/Nadeen.Green) and Anne (www.AnneSadovsky.com) for their encouragement, prodding, and steadfast support. Of course, I owe all I know about fair housing to my colleagues at FHCO, particularly Pegge and Diane who also happen to be dear friends.)} As I spoke with others on the national circuit, it occurred to me one of my greatest interests as a fair housing instructor – and certainly a hot topic with every audience – was that of disability aid animals. What’s more, I was keenly aware of the confusion among many in the housing industry between critters alternatingly referred to as pets, companion animals, assistance animals, service animals, emotional support animals, etc. Not to mention the lack of knowledge of proper etiquette around working animals in general. The common threads here turned out to be unexpected continuity with housing providers and civil rights work (a concern for legal safety and fear of legal jeopardy, as it were) with a particular focus on animals. As these thoughts jelled, I could feel that friendly elephant sitting in the corner nodding approvingly.
So, you see, a business strategy that targets the apartment industry and utility companies as well as professional and volunteer disaster responders isn’t so silly. A career that aspires to help others overcome fears ranging from unfamiliar critters to legal jeopardy to unexpected catastrophes isn’t so crazy. It’s just really hard to fit on one business card!
They are for me -- They blend the prevalent aspects of my personal and professional life over the past few decades. I didn’t set out to form a company or forge a career based on this alchemy. This weird science brew rose up on its own following years of finding, following , honing, and honoring my passions.
When I was little, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’ve always envied those who seem to have sprung from the womb with an innate understanding of their calling. For me, as with many I know and admire, the path hasn't been straight or singular.
As a little girl I wanted to be a veterinarian because I loved animals so. However, it didn't take my lil’ ponytail-clad head long to realize I’d more oft then not see the critters when they were sick, injured, or dying; and, with that, I shelved the idea entirely.
Many years later, the process of selecting a major in college left an impression on me. I still didn’t know what I wanted to be or do. Faced with the expectation of declaring a major before classes had even began I distinctly remember pondering the situation rationally as I strode across my now alma mater’s beautiful campus (www.LClark.edu). I decided then and there that a background in business would serve me well wherever life took me – regardless of industry and whether I landed in the corporate world, the small business arena, or doing nonprofit work. In fact, I felt certain at that age a number of careers lay ahead me and the foundation a business degree would offer was very attractive.
By the time I graduated with that BA I'd decided to join my parents in their real estate sales practice (Mom had been licensed for eight years; Dad had joined her just the year before). It wasn’t until many, many years later that it truly dawned on me that I had grown up with housing-industry influences that spanned three generations and entrepreneurial roots that went back four. So real estate it was! To start…
I spent eight years working alongside my parents / partners assisting residential buyers and sellers, applying business principles, and honing a zeal for marketing and networking. My first career taught me the value of competent representation, contracts and risk management, partnership and collaboration (I’ve been described by some as a Master Networker, though I prefer the term net-weaving these days). It also introduced me to the thrills and chills of running a small business including variable income (the fear of the unknown paycheck) and cold calling (the ever-present fear of rejection) along with supreme autonomy, ultimate flexibility, and rewarding self-actualization.
In 2004, my parents and I simply burned out -- luckily we all did so simultaneously. We actually thought we’d be in business forever, so it took a real adjustment to decide that we even could change directions (fear of letting down friends, clients, and colleagues compounded by the Great Unknown of ‘what's next?’). We thoughtfully wrapped up our business and then each proceeded to recreate ourselves. I landed in the nonprofit sector, but still very much involved in housing, which was unexpected but proved to be a wonderful fit.
As a Realtor® I had worked to further issues of equity and diversity at my local trade association and, in doing so, had partnered with Oregon's statewide, nonprofit fair housing organization (www.FHCO.org). It turned out, there was a spot for me at the Fair Housing Council of Oregon when the time came to shift gears. It also turned out there was a lot more to civil rights in housing than I’d fully comprehended as an agent. I enjoyed delving into the nuances of federal, state, and local fair housing laws in order to help educate both housing consumers and providers about their rights and responsibilities. I especially enjoyed training providers – Realtors®, portfolio managers, leasing agents, maintenance crews, private landlords, homeowners’ associations, builders, architects, designers, contractors, and the like.
I developed a reputation as an open-minded advocate that appreciated business concerns. 'Someone who could deliver a dry legal subject in a balanced, informative, and entertaining way. Over time, my aim -- and my personal specialty -- became providing historical and relatable context, understandable concepts, and bottom line considerations despite complex, confusing, and often contradictory laws.
In my decade-long tenure at FHCO I trained over 10,000 individuals on their rights and responsibilities under fair housing law to rave reviews by groups ranging in size from two to several hundred. Some of my most notable class evaluations came from attendees who were shocked they’d stayed conscious for an entire three- or four-hour session. Along the way, FHCO supported me by putting me through in-depth adult learning education programs offered by the Association for Talent Development where I was schooled in classroom facilitation and earned their Master Trainer Certification. I was told often that my passion for fair housing was evident whenever I was in front of a crowd but that shouldn’t imply that I was a natural born speaker. I deliberately worked from the time I was in high school till I was well into my thirties to overcome what is ranked as Americans’ greatest fear. And so, I dove into my second career!
And yet, during the same time that I was learning about and disseminating fair housing information on the job, I devoted a tremendous amount of personal time to studying emergency management and disaster response. My interest stemmed from a very personal and specific concern – I had several household pets and the thought of losing them tragically in an unexpected emergency was simply unthinkable. In fact, the very thought of it took my breath away. I set out to know what to do – to increase my confidence that I’d be able to do what was needed – if one of them was injured or if calamity called for all of us to evacuate. Above all else, I didn’t want to freeze up; to be ineffectual; to be useless if my Furry Friends were suffering or in pain. That, for me, was my nightmare and I was not willing to be undermined or disempowered by those fears.
My emergency preparedness education began with a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course in 2005 (www.FEMA.gov/community-emergency-response-teams). After that I was simply bit by the bug. To date I have completed over 200 classes -- some specific to animals, others dedicated to emergency preparedness or disaster response. Among those courses were intensive, week-long, all-hazards Incident Command System (ICS) position-specific classes offered by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA). I was even among the first 500 individuals in the country to complete FEMA's Basic Academy for emergency managers in 2017.
I went gone on to resuscitate my town's CERT program in 2014; participate in various search and rescue and animal law conferences; help plan and execute full-scale disaster exercises (people- and animal-centric); train and deploy with two technical animal response teams; complete an intensive mountaineering program offered by the renowned NW Mazamas climbing club (www.mazamas.org/BCEP); and deploy nationally to assist with emergency animal shelter missions with the Humane Society of the US (www.humanesociety.org) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (www.aspca.org).
At home, I have loved and cared for over twenty pets throughout my lifetime. While the joy I derive from animals is unparalleled, my commitment to my Furry Friends since my twenties has required a great detail of decision making, tough budgeting, and a lot of end-of-life care as those pets reached the end of their lives. Since 2006 I've also acted as a 'surrogate livestock handler' when neighbors are away -- that ongoing experience has been the source of some of my most dramatic and personally challenging technical rescues. (So much for the fear of seeing critters when they’re sick and injured!)
On-the-job at the Fair Housing Council I came to appreciate the power of cause-based work. Besides grooming me as a speaker, my time there also provided numerous outlets for other components of marketing I’ve always loved including writing and networking, all rooted in purpose and passion. While I remain a supporter of the fair housing movement and a friend to the housing industry, I found that the knowledge base I’d amassed on animals and disasters had earned me the label of ‘expert’ in many people’s minds. What's more, my interest had become a calling that I had to give voice to, and so began my current career.
The day after Christmas 2015, I decided to take the plunge and launch a business focused on animals-in-disasters (despite the fear of loosing stable income and generous benefits). My instinct was to reach out to the disaster community – volunteer organizations, jurisdictions, law enforcement agencies and fire departments, as well as the emergency management industry – to offer presentations that addressed why and how to prepare for the unexpected and the unthinkable focused on animals. Yet over the course of the months that followed, I found that my path was, again, not straightforward.
First, to my surprise, it seemed I had a great deal to say about animal body language. I’m not an animal trainer or behaviorist or a vet -- I have the utmost respect for each specialty. But I discovered that my own version of explaining critter communications was fundamental enough to apply to household pets, livestock, and wildlife with benefit to those wanting to enhance critter-human bonds as well as those concerned for keeping critters safe before, during, or after a disaster. I then realized the same principles were invaluable to entirely unexpected audiences. Everyone from utility and public works employees to appliance repair and cleaning crews, from home health workers to government inspectors -- anyone who routinely encounters unfamiliar animals in the course of their work by virtue of enter others’ properties and the sanctuary of others’ homes. Postal and package deliverers may be stopped by an overzealous pet; a professional responder might be greeted a guard dog on duty; line crews or inspectors could run into livestock on rural properties. The fundamentals of critter body language can do much to increase personal safety (and good customer and community relations) while on the job. I found that animal body language was equal to animals-in-disasters in my repertoire of topics, both in terms of my own interest as well as market demand.
Secondly, as my business continued to evolve, events conspired to keep me involved with the housing industry. Of course, apartment managers, maintenance crews, and Realtors® encounter residents’ and clients’ critters with the same significant on-the-job concern as other industries. In addition, I was invited to speak to Realtors® in the summer of 2016 on personal safety, client and property safety, and data safety. While not animal specific, the common threads of safety awareness, risk management, personal protection, and preparation struck me like a elephant gently, patiently tapping its trunk on my shoulder.
Further, the prospect of continuing to provide fair housing training to the housing industry appealed to me and I was encouraged to pursue it nationally* {Heartfelt thanks to both Nadeen (www.facebook.com/Nadeen.Green) and Anne (www.AnneSadovsky.com) for their encouragement, prodding, and steadfast support. Of course, I owe all I know about fair housing to my colleagues at FHCO, particularly Pegge and Diane who also happen to be dear friends.)} As I spoke with others on the national circuit, it occurred to me one of my greatest interests as a fair housing instructor – and certainly a hot topic with every audience – was that of disability aid animals. What’s more, I was keenly aware of the confusion among many in the housing industry between critters alternatingly referred to as pets, companion animals, assistance animals, service animals, emotional support animals, etc. Not to mention the lack of knowledge of proper etiquette around working animals in general. The common threads here turned out to be unexpected continuity with housing providers and civil rights work (a concern for legal safety and fear of legal jeopardy, as it were) with a particular focus on animals. As these thoughts jelled, I could feel that friendly elephant sitting in the corner nodding approvingly.
So, you see, a business strategy that targets the apartment industry and utility companies as well as professional and volunteer disaster responders isn’t so silly. A career that aspires to help others overcome fears ranging from unfamiliar critters to legal jeopardy to unexpected catastrophes isn’t so crazy. It’s just really hard to fit on one business card!
__________________________________________________________________________
*I prefer not to compete with the Fair Housing Council of Oregon within their service area, as fee trainings have historically been one
of their few sources of discretionary funds. I do, in fact, contract with them on occasion to support their education and training efforts across the state. Those looking for fair housing training in Oregon should visit www.FHCO.org for more information.
*I prefer not to compete with the Fair Housing Council of Oregon within their service area, as fee trainings have historically been one
of their few sources of discretionary funds. I do, in fact, contract with them on occasion to support their education and training efforts across the state. Those looking for fair housing training in Oregon should visit www.FHCO.org for more information.