Tawan has called Washington State home since 1992. Born in Louisiana and having lived most of her childhood and early adulthood in Chicago, Illinois, she can easily say Washington is the most beautiful of the three states. For someone who loves the outdoors, this is perfect.
Tawan’s background, either working or volunteering, has always had a common theme: helping others. She began working as a paralegal in Chicago immediately after graduating from college. After taking a short break from the corporate world, Tawan followed in her mother’s footsteps and become a teacher. Tawan taught in the Chicago Public School District as an elementary school teacher for several years before relocating to Washington State.
Upon arriving in Washington, Tawan worked a number of jobs that focused on helping clients, and those who did not have a voice. She served as a Domestic Violence Advocate for the YWCA in Kitsap County, helping women and families navigate through the court system and secure valuable resources as they experienced some of the scariest moments of their lives – physical violence from a partner. This was hard, but extremely rewarding work.
After leaving the YWCA, Tawan began her career in law enforcement. Her desire to help people who could not defend or help themselves expanded. She worked for 3 years as a Special Agent with the Washington State Gambling Commission. There, she participated in and led investigations into possible criminal activity in various tribal casinos, and conducted daily audits.
In August 2002, Tawan was hired as the first Black female officer at the University of Washington Police Department. In 2 short years, she promoted to Sergeant. Tawan remained at UWPD serving the community for 14 years until she retired in July 2016. She loved the role of leader, investigator, trainer, and mentor. Retirement was bittersweet in that she enjoyed helping people in the community on a daily basis, yet had an amazing opportunity to work with her husband, Brett, own their own business, and spend more time with family.
Tawan continues to use the skills she learned in law enforcement in ways that can be valuable to your case. She is a licensed private investigator, and is a certified Security / Risk Assessment Specialist.
Tawan will also begin the Rule 6 Law Clerk Program in the spring of 2019 where she will be working and studying to become an attorney.
Education:
Public Administration with a minor in Law Enforcement Administration, Western Illinois University, 1990
B.S., Paralegal Studies, Southern Illinois University, 1991
Basic Law Enforcement Police Academy, Class 527, Burien, Washington, 2001
WHEN I’M OUT OF THE OFFICE….
I love being active! In the warm months, I love to run, bike, and you might find me enjoying a track day.
In the cooler months, I love to ski and take in a Washington Women’s Basketball game.
Having suffered through personal injury from more than one car accident and line-of-duty injuries, I know the reality of living with daily pain, and not being able to do the things I love the most, either on my own or with family.
As a team, we are ready to get to work for you.