Speakers

Rebecca Chiasson is the Chemistry Manager at the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab which includes both seized drug analysis and forensic toxicology analysis. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Nicholls State University and a Master of Science from University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She has almost 20 years’ experience in forensics, specifically drug chemistry, toxicology and crime scene processing. In 2011, she was promoted to drug chemistry unit supervisor, then chemistry manager in 2013. She has been qualified as an expert 20+ times in forensic drug chemistry in state and/or federal court. She has membership in the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, the American Academy of Forensic Scientists, and the Louisiana Association of Forensic Scientists. She has been appointed to the State Epidemiology Workgroup, the Prevention Systems Committee, the Governor’s DWI-Vehicular Homicide Task Force, the Governor’s Drug Policy Board, and Louisiana’s Impaired Drivers Emphasis Team. She co-chairs the Statewide and Capital Region’s Impaired Drivers Emphasis Teams. She assists in the identification, banning, and education of new synthetic drugs that are a public health hazard along with Louisiana Poison Center and DHH. She is also part of the team assembled for the Strategic Highway Safety Plan to identify the severity of drug impaired driving in Louisiana.

Kym Laube is the Executive Director of Human Understanding Growth Services, Inc., HUGS, Inc., located in Westhampton Beach, NY. In this position she brings over 33 years of substance use prevention knowledge and expertise, leading the organization to provide a full array of multidimensional prevention services and recovery supports. Kym is a national trainer and speaker, working with notable leaders in prevention including CADCA.

Having participated in the HUGS, Inc. Teen Institute program in 1986 as a high school student, Kym understands firsthand, the profound impact, lifelong influence and workforce development the Teen Institute program provides to young people. From student leader to Executive Director in 2002, Kym’s mission has been to empower others to seek their full potential and become agents of change in the world. Kym offers dynamic, passionate and interactive keynotes, trainings and workshops for large and small groups with an uncanny ability to talk with and not at people.  Annually, Kym presents to over 25,000 individuals, young and old across our great country.

Kym’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives of young people extends beyond her executive office and can be seen in the many leadership roles she holds. She is active on various local, state and national boards and task forces and served on the NYS Governor Opiate Task Force. Most notable is her personal recovery and commitment to push individuals to make the space better wherever they are. Her greatest joy is watching her two adult sons creating live a life of choice and forge their own course. She lives in Westhampton Beach with her husband, and way too many dogs.

With degrees, credentials and amazing experience in education, leadership, community building. communication and psychology, Nicole has been a dynamic force in the field of education since 1995. With her amazing sense of humor, engaging, passionate personality, and intuitive understanding of the deeper levels of human behavior, Nicole gets to the heart of what truly drives and inspires students, teachers, leaders, and parents to work together to build an incredible learning experience for the community as a whole, and comes up with strategies and solutions for when communication seems difficult or even impossible. Nicole has an innate ability to uncover what makes people do what they do, and say what they say, so her students and audiences leave with the tools they need to successfully deal with difficult people, situations, and problems. And do all of that with clarity and confidence.

Nicole works with each client to determine how to integrate their own individual needs and concerns into each presentation. (So much better than a memorized, scripted session! No power points!) She then uses that personalized info to both involve and inspire audiences to not only understand, but most importantly, be able leverage their new deeper insights of personality types, communication styles, negotiation techniques, to develop killer life-building strategies for success. Plus, her areas of expertise go way beyond communication, developing healthy relationships, and the psychology of human behavior. Social media safety and literacy? She’s the go to person. Understanding the power of the media in educational settings? She’s got you covered. Expanding and empowering the role of the leader? It’s there for the asking. Nicole will help you and your team create an unforgettable, motivational, and interactive experience for your audience.

How cool is that?!

Natalie Marti's story begins on February 27th 2003, when she, her husband, and daughter, were traveling home on the freeway.  As they neared their exit, they were struck head on by a drunk driver at 98 mph going the wrong way on the freeway.  The combined impact of their car with his truck instantly killed her husband and daughter and left Natalie clinging to life. Natalie was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit and there fell into a coma. 

After three weeks lying in a coma, unable to breathe on her own, Natalie slowly regained consciousness.  She worked hard with her therapists and over time was able to regain her physical and mental strength.  Despite her miraculous recovery, Natalie's heart remains broken.  

Since her recovery Natalie decided to return to college at Boise State and received a degree in Communications in 2009.  She is a founder and executive director of the non-profit Be Safe & Sober

She speaks on various motivational topics from overcoming trials to forgiving and finding happiness in life.  Her audiences have included: grade school through seniors, drivers education classes, substance abuse classes, juvenile corrections, DUI victim panels, church groups, motivational seminars, police training seminars, IDOC seminars, traffic safety seminars, first responders seminars, and hospital seminars.  She has spoken to audiences in California, Idaho, Oregon, Nebraska, Nevada, and Utah.

Shawn L. Hill has worked in the Criminal Justice field for 28 years. He started his career in California working for Fresno County Juvenile Probation, working inside Juvenile Hall in Maximum Security. He later worked for the California Youth Authority (when it was called that) in Modesto, California. He later moved to Portland, Oregon and then on to Idaho Falls, Idaho where he began working for Bingham County in April of 1999, with his office in Blackfoot, Idaho. He has worked will all cases in the juvenile realm and once carried a caseload of Misdemeanor Drug Court Participants. He has worked as a Juvenile Detention Officer, Juvenile Probation Officer, Juvenile Diversion Officer, Juvenile Drug Court Officer, Juvenile Sex Offender Officer, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Adult Misdemeanor Probation Officer, Adult Misdemeanor Chief Probation Officer, and Probation Director at present. He started a Youth Court in Bingham County in 2007 and in 2019 attended the American Probation and Parole Association Conference in San Francisco where he was exposed to the “Re-Entry Simulation”. Director Hill along with his staff and the County Commissioners, brought the “Re-Entry Simulation” back to Idaho to share with fellow criminal justice professionals. They call their version the” Probation Simulation”. In addition to his Bingham County responsibilities, he served on the Board of Juvenile Corrections for ten years. He has been a member of the Idaho Council for Juvenile Interstate Compact since March 2008 and has been the Chair of this Council since March 2009. He is currently the President Elect for the Idaho Association of Counties Misdemeanor Probation Administrator’s Association.