Katie Shepherd

Katie Shepherd is the executive director of Lice Solutions Resource Network, Inc. As a mother of four, she knows firsthand the frustration parents face when trying to rid their family of head lice. As a producer for the Kiplinger financial organization, she worked on a story entitled "The High Cost of Head Lice" and discovered that the real problem was that there were no viable resources to educate and help families. Determined to make a difference in her community, she began to assist families fighting head lice in her local schools.

What started as a community outreach in 1997 evolved into a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. In 2001, she gave up her role as a national television producer to direct Lice Solutions full time. With the help of trained technicians, she now helps hundreds of families throughout South Florida deal with lice each week. Lice Solutions' nonprofit status ensures that services are available for all children regardless of their families' ability to pay, with 62 percent receiving free or reduced treatments. Lice Solutions is also an active research partner with several universities.