Anita Aldrich received her BSW from San Diego State University and joined the Academy in June 1999 as the Training Specialist. As such, she recruits trainers, plans and schedules trainings and trainers, oversees the trainer and consultant contracting process, conducts training advertising efforts, is the liaison to Training Departments in the five participating counties, produces a trainer newsletter, and updates the Academy's website.

Anita came to the Academy with a wealth of experience in both public and non-profit sectors. She began her career working in residential treatment with disturbed and delinquent adolescents. She was a social worker with the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency working in Continuing Services and on the Child Abuse Hotline. She ran a shelter for runaways and adolescents in family crisis, and was the Director of the first Foster Family Agency developed in San Diego County. Anita is also a trained mediator and arbitrator.

In her spare time Anita enjoys creative writing, photography, bike-riding, Chargers football when they are winning, travel, talent contests and living vicariously through reality television. She always felt her true destiny was to be a game show host.