One of the greatest privileges of my work is witnessing my clients and past clients step into meaningful leadership and bring forward work that serves not only their industries, but entire communities.
This series, Movement Makers in Action, is a reflection of that.
Today, I’m honored to highlight Kathi McCarty, founder of the Meth Toxins Awareness Alliance, who is taking a movement she has built in Colorado nationwide with a powerful vision: Prevention Before Crisis.
In my work, we define what I call a One Message for the World — a thought leadership declaration that a woman is here to lead with. Kathi’s is:
“Protect what matters most.”
Kathi’s mission grew from one of the most difficult experiences of her life. After temporarily renting out her family home, she discovered the tenant had manufactured methamphetamine there. In just 90 days, the property tested at 239 times Colorado’s legal contamination limit and became a place she could no longer safely enter without a hazmat suit and respiratory protection.
After more than 30 years in real-estate-related industries, including banking, lending, and executive leadership, Kathi had never been educated about meth contamination as a property risk. As she navigated the health, legal, and financial consequences herself, she discovered gaps in education, disclosure, insurance, and consumer protection that she could no longer ignore.
That experience became a mission.
Kathi founded the Meth Toxins Awareness Alliance and began educating property owners and professionals. Her work grew from education into advocacy and legislation. She collaborated with Colorado State Senator Lisa Cutter and helped lead the work that resulted in the passage of SB 23-148, creating Colorado’s public-facing database of meth-affected residential properties and an important new layer of transparency for consumers.
She has since educated thousands of people, developed a continuing education course approved by the Colorado Division of Real Estate, and taught it more than 50 times to real estate and property professionals across Colorado.
Now she is taking that work nationwide through her digital curriculum, Meth Toxins in Properties: Prevention, Risk & Responsibility, while continuing to expand the practical tools available for prevention, including representing meth-toxin detection technology.
Kathi’s vision is for meth-contamination awareness to become part of normal due diligence across real estate and property-related industries. As she says, success isn’t measured by how many courses are sold. It’s measured by how many crises never happen because someone had the knowledge to make a different decision.
At the heart of her work is hope. Prevention gives people the knowledge and confidence to ask better questions, make informed decisions, and protect their health, homes, businesses, and future generations.
Kathi received the 2019 Firedancer Award at my Extraordinary Women Ignite Conference and was named a Top 10 Iconic 100 Impact Ignitor of 2023 in Social Education.
I’m continually inspired by the clients and past clients I have the privilege to work with and witness as they step into their next level of authority and influence.
You can learn more about Kathi and the Meth Toxins Awareness Alliance here.
Explore her online curriculum, Meth Toxins in Properties: Prevention, Risk & Responsibility here.
And read more of Kathi’s story in The Hole in Her Driveway Was Ten Feet Wide. The Hole in the Law Was Bigger. here.
This story wraps up our current season of Movement Makers in Action, and what an incredible collection of women, ideas, and movements we’ve had the privilege to celebrate.
Explore the full Movement Makers in Action series.
