Local Matters Podcast

Author Denise Benz opens up about growing up in a home that looked perfect from the outside but hid abuse and secrecy behind closed doors. She talks about the courage it took to finally speak her truth, why "what happens in this house stays in this house" keeps people trapped, and how she emancipated herself from a past that tried to define her.

Denise Benz is an author, speaker, and brand strategist with more than 17 years of experience helping influential leaders, speakers, and entrepreneurs amplify their message and impact. Throughout her career, she has worked alongside some of the most recognized names in personal development and entertainment, including Tony Robbins, Lisa Nichols, Kim Coles, Iyanla Vanzant.

Today, Denise is using her own voice to tell a story she carried in silence for years.

Her memoir, Only My Face Was Smiling: Faith Carried Me, Secrecy Almost Broke Me, is a powerful story of childhood trauma, faith, resilience, and healing. Through her work and her writing, Denise helps others understand that what tried to break them does not get to define them.

Denise's memoir, Only My Face Was Smiling, is available now — you can purchase it here: https://www.denisebenz.com/order-now1.html

DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions regarding this tragedy belong solely to her. These are not to malign any profession, organization, anyone, or anything. Local Matters does not endorse candidates.

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Neil Thanedar is a nonprofit leader and activist who started his career as a scientist, founder, and angel investor. His three startups are now worth over $100 million. He is executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, a nonpartisan nonprofit fighting dark money in Michigan politics, and founder and chairman of Labdoor, the independent worldwide alternative to the FDA. He also served as executive director of the Detroit Partnership and senior advisor to his father, Shri Thanedar, in his campaigns for governor, State House, and US Congress. A University of Michigan alumnus, Neil and his family call Michigan home.

Neil is also the author of Positive Politics, out now in bookstores, on Audible, and Spotify: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FWF8XDX3?tag=scribemedia0a-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true

DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions regarding this tragedy belong solely to her. These are not to malign any profession, organization, anyone, or anything. Local Matters does not endorse candidates.

To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page at

www.Janiceallenjackson.com

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Liz Ortenburger is the CEO of SafeNest, Nevada’s largest and most comprehensive nonprofit addressing domestic and sexual violence, and a thought leader reshaping how the world understands, prevents, and responds to abuse. For more than two decades, Liz has been at the forefront of advocacy for women’s and children’s safety, bringing both urgency and vision to a field long constrained by reactive solutions.

At SafeNest, Liz leads a multi-million-dollar organization that delivers a fully integrated continuum of care—including emergency response, prevention education, housing, legal advocacy, and offender intervention—designed to disrupt cycles of violence at their roots. Under her leadership, SafeNest has expanded beyond traditional service delivery to address the broader epidemic itself, forging strategic partnerships with law enforcement, policymakers, healthcare systems, and community leaders to align public policy with the lived realities of survivors and families.

Liz is known for challenging conventional narratives around domestic violence. She believes that lasting change requires a fundamental shift: from punishment to prevention, from survivor-only solutions to system-wide accountability, and from silence to truth-telling. Her work calls for confronting long-ignored root causes of domestic violence and including abusive partners in the path to meaningful intervention and healing—while centering hope, safety, and long-term impact.

A Ph.D. candidate in Public Policy and Administration at Walden University, Liz’s research focuses on policy analysis and the social construction of abusive partners in public policy. She holds an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona and a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fresno, where she was a nationally ranked track and field athlete and cross-country team captain.

DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions regarding this tragedy belong solely to her. These are not to malign any profession, organization, anyone, or anything. Local Matters does not endorse candidates.

To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page at

www.Janiceallenjackson.com

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00:00 Intro & Episode Overview

02:11 Meet Liz Ortenberger (SafeNest CEO)

03:09 Liz's Career Path: Girl Scouts to SafeNest

05:11 Why the Focus Shifted to Abusers, Not Just Survivors

06:14 Why 70% of Survivors Go Back

07:54 Leaving Means Divorcing Your Whole Community

09:59 The "Fire-Breathing Dragon" Survival Metaphor

10:41 Mecklenburg County Case Studies

12:31 Why Teens Normalize Abuse

13:37 "He Has to Square Up on Me to Know He Cares"

15:18 Pornography's Impact on Kids & Consent

17:36 Modeling Healthy Relationships for Kids

20:37 Domestic Violence and the Church

23:36 Why Women Need Men Less (and What Men Must Offer)

24:59 "Why Didn't She Leave?" — The Wrong Question

25:52 The Anger Scale: Proving Violence Is a Choice

29:38 The Link Between DV, Mass Shooters & Cop Killers

30:53 Can Abusive Men Actually Change?

32:12 Substance Abuse & Batterer Intervention Programs

34:23 MAGA, "My Body My Choice" & Cultural Backsliding

36:22 The Mike Tyson Example & Excusing Abusers

38:17 "Hurt People Hurt People" — Childhood Abuse Cycles

40:57 When Abusers Snap: Real Case Stories

43:01 Post-Separation Murders & Guns

45:22 Red Flags When Starting a New Relationship

46:24 Googling New Partners & Early Warning Signs

50:57 Love Bombing

51:52 Resources: National Hotline & SafeNest

52:16 Closing Bible Verse & Sign-Off

Amy Sharma, PhD, is Executive Director of Science for Georgia, a nonprofit that bridges the gap between scientists and the public through training, outreach, and advocating for the responsible use of science in public policy. Currently she is working with a coalition of coalitions focused on mitigating the negative impacts of the data center expansion on the health, wellbeing, water, energy, and the environment.

Her career spans industry, academia, and government—including VP of Product at Prediko (acquired by United Technologies Corp), leadership roles at GTRI, faculty at the University of Western Australia, a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship at the National Science Foundation, and a microprocessor designer for IBM. She earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and enjoys jobs with overly long titles, translating technical ideas for non-scientists, science stand-up comedy, and sewing.

DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions regarding this tragedy belong solely to her. These are not to malign any profession, organization, anyone, or anything. Local Matters does not endorse candidates.

To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page at

www.Janiceallenjackson.com

Follow us on Social Media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LocalMattersPodcastofGeorgia

Subscribe on Youtube: Local Matters Podcast of Georgia

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Twitter:

twitter.com/JAJAndAssocLLC

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Timestamp -

00:00:00 – Intro & welcome

00:01:53 – Subscribe / show info (YouTube, Facebook, SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts)

00:02:46 – Guest introduction & topic framing

00:04:08 – Amy describes Science for Georgia

00:05:40 – Amy's career path to the role

00:06:55 – What is a data center?

00:08:57 – Will data centers be here forever?

00:11:10 – Obsolescence & adaptive reuse of data center buildings

00:13:23 – Is it true economic development?

00:15:53 – Complementary businesses nearby?

00:16:19 – The AOC brown water story

00:20:50 – Water scarcity, drought, and ethics

00:23:47 – Noise concerns near residences

00:26:27 – Distance from residential areas & mitigations

00:27:23 – Communities getting it right? Model ordinances

00:30:59 – Riverkeeper partnership

00:32:14 – Strategic locations: power and water access

00:34:32 – GMA (Georgia Municipal Association) partnership

00:36:33 – UGA and Science for Georgia's role as an information resource

00:39:11 – Website info (scienceforgeorgia.org)

00:39:52 – Closing thoughts: transparency and getting involved locally

00:41:17 – Final question on safe distance

00:41:37 – Follow-up: safe distance answer revealed (1–6 mile buffer)

00:43:16 – Final reflections: trade-offs and zoning

00:44:22 – Sign-off / Bible verse and outro

Dave Martin is the host and producer of The Good Government

Show. For the past five years, he has talked with mayors, county

commissioners, and leaders across federal and local government

about projects, public service, and how government works for all

of us. Before launching the show, Dave worked as a producer for

CBS News, Fox News Channel, local New York City television

news, and as a newspaper reporter.

DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions regarding this tragedy belong solely to her. These are not to malign any profession, organization, anyone, or anything. Local Matters does not endorse candidates.

To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page at

www.Janiceallenjackson.com

Follow us on Social Media:

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In this episode, Janice Allen Jackson breaks down the recent Augusta mayoral runoff election, examining the results, voter turnout, campaign strategies, and the key factors that shaped the outcome. Was this election more about Garnett Johnson losing support, or Steve Kendrick building a winning coalition? Tune in for insight and analysis on what the results mean for Augusta moving forward.

Youtube include the disclaimer-

DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions regarding this tragedy belong solely to her. These are not to malign any profession, organization, anyone, or anything. Local Matters does not endorse candidates.

To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page at

www.Janiceallenjackson.com

Follow us on Social Media:

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Traci knows that honor cannot stop at ceremony—it must be reflected in how government shows up for families long after the speeches are over.

That lived experience defines her mission: to bring our respect H.O.M.E.

For Traci, “home” is not a slogan. It is what families are supposed to feel—safety, dignity, opportunity, and trust that the systems meant to serve them actually work. As a mother raising children shaped by sacrifice, she understands both the human cost of government failure and the discipline required to fix it.

Throughout her career, Traci has worked across economic development, food security, healthcare access, education, and community infrastructure—bringing together government, nonprofits, faith institutions, and the private sector to deliver real outcomes. She has built coalitions, managed complex initiatives, and helped stabilize systems that families rely on every day.

Ceretta Smith is a proud Army Veteran, mother, wife, faith leader, grandmother, small business owner, and former Councilwoman in the City of Grovetown. She is proud to call Grovetown home for the past twenty years, where she lives with her husband, Retired Sergeant First Class Sterling Vandolph Smith. At her small business, she is committed to molding and developing future leaders of the workforce. It’s here that she teaches the values of compassionate leadership, guided by the adage:

"People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Before running her own business, she spent decades serving her country in various roles. She proudly served as a medic in the Army for nearly a decade, where she helped wounded soldiers recover in hospitals, clinics, and worked in a field unit in Germany. She then continued to serve by working for the Federal Government for another twenty-five years. Through her work, she became a Labor, Civil, Human Rights Activist, serving as: the Women’s and Fair Practices Coordinator, Chief Steward, Legislative Political Coordinator, Local President, Georgia State Council President and the National Fair Practices Coordinator for the largest Federal Government Union, the American Federation of Government Employees.

Ceretta holds a Bachelor Degree in the Arts, a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling, four Associate Degree’s, one being in Criminal Justice and a Doctorate of Ministry with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership. She is a Certified Human Rights Consultant, Certified HISCoach Life Coach, a Certified Paracletos Counselor, a Christian Recording Artist, a Published Author, a Certified DISC Behavioral Analyst, a Certified Myers-Briggs Practitioner and a Faith Leader in her community that travels nationally and internationally.

Join us for an important conversation on leadership, service, advocacy, family, and community impact.

To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page at

www.Janiceallenjackson.com

Follow us on Social Media:

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Traci knows that honor cannot stop at ceremony—it must be reflected in how government shows up for families long after the speeches are over.

That lived experience defines her mission: to bring our respect H.O.M.E.

For Traci, “home” is not a slogan. It is what families are supposed to feel—safety, dignity, opportunity, and trust that the systems meant to serve them actually work. As a mother raising children shaped by sacrifice, she understands both the human cost of government failure and the discipline required to fix it.

Throughout her career, Traci has worked across economic development, food security, healthcare access, education, and community infrastructure—bringing together government, nonprofits, faith institutions, and the private sector to deliver real outcomes. She has built coalitions, managed complex initiatives, and helped stabilize systems that families rely on every day.

Ceretta Smith is a proud Army Veteran, mother, wife, faith leader, grandmother, small business owner, and former Councilwoman in the City of Grovetown. She is proud to call Grovetown home for the past twenty years, where she lives with her husband, Retired Sergeant First Class Sterling Vandolph Smith. At her small business, she is committed to molding and developing future leaders of the workforce. It’s here that she teaches the values of compassionate leadership, guided by the adage:

"People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Before running her own business, she spent decades serving her country in various roles. She proudly served as a medic in the Army for nearly a decade, where she helped wounded soldiers recover in hospitals, clinics, and worked in a field unit in Germany. She then continued to serve by working for the Federal Government for another twenty-five years. Through her work, she became a Labor, Civil, Human Rights Activist, serving as: the Women’s and Fair Practices Coordinator, Chief Steward, Legislative Political Coordinator, Local President, Georgia State Council President and the National Fair Practices Coordinator for the largest Federal Government Union, the American Federation of Government Employees.

Ceretta holds a Bachelor Degree in the Arts, a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling, four Associate Degree’s, one being in Criminal Justice and a Doctorate of Ministry with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership. She is a Certified Human Rights Consultant, Certified HISCoach Life Coach, a Certified Paracletos Counselor, a Christian Recording Artist, a Published Author, a Certified DISC Behavioral Analyst, a Certified Myers-Briggs Practitioner and a Faith Leader in her community that travels nationally and internationally.

DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions regarding this tragedy belong solely to her. These are not to malign any profession, organization, anyone, or anything. Local Matters does not endorse candidates.

To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page at

www.Janiceallenjackson.com

Follow us on Social Media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LocalMattersPodcastofGeorgia

Subscribe on Youtube: Local Matters Podcast of Georgia

youtube.com/@localmatterspodcastofgeorg3624

Twitter:

twitter.com/JAJAndAssocLLC

Local Matters Podcast:

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@localmatterspodcast

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@localmatterspodcast

Garnett Johnson is the 85th Mayor of the City of Augusta and a small business owner. An Augusta native, he is proud graduate of George P. Butler High School and Augusta University with a degree in Business Administration.

Appointed by Governor Brian Kemp, Garnett serves on the Georgia Department of Economic Development Board. Representing Augusta, he serves as the Third Vice President of the Georgia Municipal Association and is a former chairman of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce. He is engaged locally as a member of the Augusta Exchange Club, is a 2015 Leadership Augusta graduate, and a 2020 Leadership Georgia graduate.

Born and raised in East Augusta, Mayor Johnson is honored to lead the city he loves. He is passionate about moving Augusta Forward by prioritizing growth, action, results and being transparent and accountable to Augusta residents.

Garnett is married to Toni Seals-Johnson. They have two daughters and are members of Good Shepherd Baptist Church.

Steven Brian Kendrick is a lifelong Augustan who has spent more than 20 years serving the community through public service, economic development, and leadership initiatives. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Florida A&M University, he earned both a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an MBA.

Kendrick served 13 years as Richmond County Tax Commissioner and currently serves as Chief Deputy in the office.

In addition to his public service, Kendrick has worked as a business professor at Paine College, Augusta University, and University of Phoenix. He is also a licensed broker, agent, and real estate instructor with experience in the private sector through the pharmaceutical industry and his family business, Augusta Blueprint.

Kendrick has played a key role in shaping Augusta’s economic and community development landscape, serving as Chairman of the Augusta Economic Development Authority and Chairman Emeritus of the Augusta Land Bank Authority. He is also a founding board member of the HUB Augusta Collaborative and the founder of the E3 Leadership Foundation, which focuses on youth leadership development through programs such as Project Impact. In addition, he has helped lead and support leadership programs in the community including Youth Leadership Augusta and the HUB Youth Leadership Academy.

As a candidate, Kendrick’s platform centers on BUILDING stronger communities, GROWING economic opportunity, UNITING leadership across Augusta, and LEADING the region toward a more prosperous future.

DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions regarding this tragedy belong solely to her. These are not to malign any profession, organization, anyone, or anything. Local Matters does not endorse candidates.

To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page at

www.Janiceallenjackson.com

Follow us on Social Media:

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Meet Dana Barrett, Fulton County Commissioner and Democratic candidate for Georgia Secretary of State.

Dana Barrett is a Fulton County Commissioner and Democratic candidate for Georgia Secretary of State.

As a Fulton County Commissioner representing Georgia's largest county, Barrett has been on the front lines of the fight to protect free, fair, and secure elections. She faced fines and the threat of jail time for refusing to seat MAGA election deniers on the county elections board—a fight she ultimately won in the Georgia Court of Appeals. She is running for Secretary of State to ensure that every eligible Georgia voter can vote without fear or interference.

Barrett brings a rare combination of technology expertise and public service experience to this race. A former tech executive, she started her career as a self-taught programmer and worked her way up to Vice President of Technology. In 2022, Barrett, a proud single mom and breast cancer survivor, beat a longtime Republican incumbent to win her seat on the Fulton County Commission.

DISCLAIMER: Local Matters Podcast Host Janice Allen Jackson is speaking only for herself. Her thoughts, views, and opinions regarding this tragedy belong solely to her. These are not to malign any profession, organization, anyone, or anything. Local Matters does not endorse candidates.

To contact Mrs. Jackson for consulting or speaking engagements, please see the Contact Us page at

www.Janiceallenjackson.com

Follow us on Social Media:

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