Author

Andrekka “AJ” Lanier is an Organizational Development Consultant at LLNL. AJ is a member of the Trojan family, graduating from USC with a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership. Previously she has spent 15 years in the field of social work, serving in numerous roles across the country ranging from Foster Parent Training Facilitator, Medical Social Work, Behavioral Consultant, and Director of Social Services. AJ is an Autism Warrior Mom who advocates for her son and was a former Campaign Director and Senior Consultant for the non-profit Autism Awareness organization, ACT Today! For Military Families. She has contributed to Social Work Today and the local Patch for articles on social work roles and behavioral issues. Recently, she was an SME (Subject Matter Expert) and Core Team Leader for the NNSA Strategic Outlook Initiative Study for the Future of Work.

Utilizing her diverse background in change management, DEI, and social work, Andrekka is also an adjunct professor who teaches in the areas of Leadership, Human Services, Guidance, and Counseling. Andrekka believes in the value of starting where the person is, utilizing a strengths-based perspective, and finding innovative ways to engage learners in mindfulness techniques. Her specialty areas of focus are emotionally intelligent leadership practices, psychological safety, effective communication, social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has developed courses, workshops, and/or seminars on Emotional Intelligence, 4 Stages of Psychological Safety, Diversity/Social Identity, and the Amplification technique for Allyship.

AJ encourages others to practice self-acceptance and spread the sparkle in this world by being true to themselves. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, snorkeling, reading, wine tasting, dancing, and dining.