At a young age Beverly knew she wanted to write a book. A story about following the heart’s journey emerged to be written, decades later. She also knew early on that dancing with abandon felt like truth, freedom and her wild natural state. If you had told her at that age that she would be a firefighter one day, she would have laughed.
As a retired career firefighter, writer, active community member, mentor, and embodied movement ambassador, Beverly believes strongly in serving and inspiring people in her local community and beyond. Beverly brings the multifaceted experiences from all her endeavors to empower and motivate people to follow their dreams, break through personal and social barriers, and celebrate their authentic self-expression. Whether she is speaking to the community, teaching students, interacting with people on the emergency scene or on the dance floor, Beverly is grateful for all moments in which to create meaningful connection.
The eighth woman to be hired as a firefighter in her fire department’s sixty-five year history, Beverly responded to emergencies for an urban fire department, for twenty four years.
She worked much of her fire career on a ladder truck where she got to climb up the one hundred foot aerial ladder and cut ventilation holes in roofs with chainsaws. Toward the last part of her career she worked on a fire engine as a Firefighter Paramedic, and then as the Community Engagement/Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer in Fire Administration before retiring in 2025. One of the questions people ask her most frequently is, “Is it scary going into a fire?” When she was first asked this question years ago, she surprised herself when she answered, “No. We train hard and consistently, all the time for fires, so it actually isn’t scary going in.” People often tell her she must be very brave.
However, the bravest thing Beverly has ever done has nothing to do with fighting raging fires, extricating people out of crashed cars or working medical emergencies. The bravest thing Beverly has ever done is listen to the inner urgings of her own heart.
When she finally found the courage to listen to her heart many moons ago, she went from an unhappy account executive in a high profile public relations firm, to a woman decked out in fire gear and a fire helmet—fighting fire in a man’s world, utterly happy to be covered in soot and grime as she helped others. When she further listened to her heart, she found herself on the adventurous path to writing, and exploring the world of embodied movement.
Beverly’s book, Brave and Awake, details life lessons learned on her own personal transformational journey. In her book she writes how she found her power and her purpose, which subsequently lead her to firefighting and a free form movement practice. She also writes a blog in which she explores the positive potential for the human experience when life is approached with authenticity, deep trust, and intention.
Additionally, Beverly co-led The Better Together Leadership Program as Assistant Program Coordinator – a youth leadership program sponsored by the fire department and local union. Beverly was a classroom facilitator for 19 years in which she mentored pre-teens in self-esteem, communication, teamwork, community service, and other important life skills. To this day, Beverly enjoys mentoring young men and women who are seeking a fulfilling career in the fire service. She currently serves on the board of NorCal Women in the Fire Service.
Beverly was also a board member at The 418 Project – the movement arts center where she has been moving and dancing for 10 years. During her career as a firefighter, Beverly was a certified Critical Incident Stress Debriefer for her county, trained to debrief emergency responders and lay people after traumatic incidents. In 2010, Beverly received the Firefighter of the Year Award from the local chapter of Optimist International.