Meet Our New Victim Services Specialists Part 1: Lara Bradshaw
Exciting things have been happening here at MADD Virginia!
One of the things we are most thrilled about is the recent addition of two new full time Victim Services Specialists, right here at the Richmond office!
Because these amazing ladies work closely with victims, their friends, and family, we wanted to take a minute to introduce them to you.
This week, we would like to introduce Lara Bradshaw.
Lara wins the award for coming to us from farthest away. Before she joined our family at MADD VA, she worked as a police officer for the Howard County Police Department, just 10 minutes south of Baltimore, Maryland.
She, her husband, and their beautiful one year old daughter moved across state lines after her husband accepted a new position here in Virginia. As a new mom and a recent state transplant, Lara describes her decision to leave law enforcement, “After moving states and becoming a new mom last year, I decided to leave my law enforcement career. I was drawn to MADD as an organization because I strongly believe in the mission.”
As a MADD Victim Services Specialist, Lara serves as an advocate for those who are directly involved in drunk and drugged driving crashes. She says, “some survivors and families may need help understanding the criminal justice process for court proceedings, need assistance with financial compensation claims, or need emotional support from their trauma. I plan to use my training and experiences from working in law enforcement to help victims of drunk and drugged driving [,] to help them in any way possible during the recovery process, and will continue to be there for them even after the case is adjudicated.”
She explains that the most satisfying part of her career in law enforcement was helping people, and that even as she left law enforcement, it was still important to her that in all her future endeavors, she makes herself available to helping people. “Being a victim advocate gives me the opportunity to impact lives…it is very fulfilling work.”
And now, a bit just for fun!
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and her husband. They enjoy hiking and skiing, and exploring local vineyards. They recently renovated their new home in Richmond, and Lara enoys decorating, and home improvement projects. Her favorite part about Richmond so far is the culture. She loves getting to know the local restaurants, and exploring Carytown (a true Richmonder, if ever there was one!).
If she could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, she would love to meet Michael Jackson or Taylor Swift. When asked what her super power would be, her friends would say it is her ability to talk to people. Lara has a knack at putting people at ease, and she genuinely cares about everyone she meets. This is a super power indeed! When asked what the title of her autobiography would be, she responded, “Just Be Kind: The Life of Lara Bradshaw—How Kindness Leads to Happiness.”
We have very much enjoyed getting to know Lara, and welcoming her into our family at MADD. We can’t wait for you to do the same!
Have you or someone you love been impacted by drunk or drugged driving? Get help by calling us at 800.533.MADD (6233), or get help HERE.