OUR TEAM

Our Team

The O'Donnell Law Center Team

Deirdre O'Donnell, Attorney at Law

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If there's one thing my life so far has taught me, it's the art of connection. We connect in many ways – with a look or expression, through a touch, with spoken or written words, through art, music and dance, with our actions, hand gestures and body language, and through cooking for each other.  There are a million ways to connect.


But what happens after we’re gone, when we can no longer connect in these ways with our family, friends, loved ones, community and others that are important to us? How will they know our stories, how we felt about them, the values that were important to us, and  how we want to be remembered? 

My own experiences have prepared me for this calling in life. 


I attended Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, a Masters Degree in Social Work, and a law degree. 

I am a wife, a mother, and the owner of The O’Donnell Law Center in Osage Beach, Missouri, where estate planning isn't about facing some dreadful event, but about putting our loved ones in the best position possible during a time that will be extremely challenging and emotional for them, and living more vibrantly in the knowledge that we have our legacy taken care of.

 

Having a proper estate plan in place means everything, My goal as an estate planning attorney is to make sure that when that sad day comes, your legacy and worldly treasures will be transitioned according to your wishes, in a way that allows your family and loved ones to focus on grieving, not court and conflict.


Thanks to my  journey, I truly understand the value of connecting with people of all backgrounds, ages and stages in life, with my words, my ears, and my heart, so that we can have meaningful conversations about estate planning. I look forward to learning about your journey, and having that conversation with you.


Melinda Huddleston - Ogle // Client Services Director

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I was born in Fulton, Missouri and grew up in the small rural town of Auxvasse, Missouri. I began working for Sears & Roebuck immediately following graduation from high school in 1983. After meeting my husband, we married in 1985 and relocated to a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. We started our family early and raised two sons, Dustin, and Jacob. 

After our children began their college years, I once again returned to the work force part-time and enjoyed a few different jobs including owning my own retail boutique and acquiring my Real-estate license. It was shortly following this point that my husband's corporate job began to relocate us to many new cities: Clearwater, FL, Tallahassee, FL, New Mexico and Phoenix, AZ, before returning to Kansas City, Missouri. It was there that my children and I lost my husband of 33 years unexpectedly to illness and I made the decision to move to Lake Ozark to be near my children, family and friends. This move and relocation brought me to the O'Donnell Law Center where I began working in December of 2018. Under the supervision of the Center's attorney, I work closely with all members of our wonderful and knowledgeable team.

I love the comforting atmosphere and supportive processes that we have created at our Estate Planning Place and I am eager to continue contributing to the success of our Center and of our clients, who seem to live better lives knowing that they have everything in order to keep their families well cared for and loved, free from court and from conflict, after they have passed on. It is a very exciting time at O’Donnell Law Center, as we continue to adjust and change in order to always provide the very best services for our clients’ estate planning needs.


Andrea Harris // Outreach and Intake Director

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I was born and raised in St. Louis County, and graduated high school in 1982. I have an associate degree from St. Louis Community College, and live with my wonderful husband Justus and son Magnus.  And I am Deirdre’s younger sister!


I have a history of working with animals. I have volunteered at a veterinary clinic, worked with birds of prey and other wildlife and with animals in a domestic capacity. I was a manager in a small animal facility at Washington University. I also spent 12 years as a keeper at the St. Louis Zoo working mainly with hoof-stock and birds.


After my son was born, I became a stay-at-home mom. I’ve always said it is the same job as a zookeeper - feed them, keep them healthy and safe and enrich them, but now I just work with one species!


I enjoy researching my genealogy. I especially love discovering that the historical facts do not concur with family stories! My husband and I like to travel but we have a lot of pets and that makes travel difficult. I re-entered the workforce by substitute teaching at my son’s school for one year, where I really enjoyed working with the children. Then I was fortunate enough to join the team at the O’Donnell Law Center when it was first established in 2014.


I am the friendly voice on the other end of the phone when you call to inquire about our estate planning services. Part of my work during that first inquiry is to help determine if you would benefit from an educational and working session with Deirdre, and if you are a good fit for the robust and comprehensive services that we offer. Then I get you scheduled for your initial meeting with Deirdre, and help you complete “homework,” which involves completing an important intake sheet and watching a few educational videos in advance of that meeting.


When I am not talking with you on the phone, I am a bit like the wizard behind the curtain, helping with all the moving pieces of an active law business. I welcome new clients into the fold, making sure they always know and understand the next step in our process, maintain the Center’s schedule, and keep a watchful eye over our time standards so that each estate plan moves through our process in the way that we intend.

Alexa O'Donnell // Director of Social Media

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I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri with Deirdre and Andrea. I am the youngest O’Donnell sister! I lived in St. Louis until 1992 when I moved to Hawaii to get my Master of Social Work degree at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Since then, I have worked in the mental health field as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In 2005 I moved to Nebraska and currently live in a small town about an hour west of Lincoln, Nebraska with my husband, Jerry, and our two teenage daughters, Sophia and Cora. We have three pets; a dog named Homer and two cats; Louie and Athanasia. 

In the summertime we love to go swimming and travel to visit family or stay in a cabin on a lake somewhere. I also run a summer program called “Read to Rescue” at our local no-kill animal shelter for kids to come and read to the animals. It’s so rewarding to see the kids and the animals benefit from this activity. During the winter, I’m sure you can imagine there’s not much going on except trying to stay warm and shovel snow!


I work part time here O’Donnell Law Center as the Director of Social Media. I joined the team in March 2022. Despite my love for psychology and mental health, I have a bit of a creative side that pairs well with my ability to easily make social connections. When Deirdre was looking for someone to manage O’Donnell Law Center’s social media pages, she knew I would be interested and able to fill the role. So, when you see all the Facebook posts, pictures, ads, and events, that’s me sharing all the entertaining and helpful information. If you send us a message on Facebook or from Google maps, I am the one replying to you. I like to think of myself as the link directly connecting you from social media to the help you are needing or questions you need answered. 

Debra Howard // Client Services Specialist

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I was born and raised in the great state of Iowa. It’s so wonderful to have so many Iowans that now call the Lake of the Ozarks home.


I attended Upper Iowa University where I earned my BS in Finance /HR. I then attended William Penn University and earned my Masters degree in Business Leadership. I am married with one wonderful child. We actually moved to the beautiful lake area in 2017 for the weather, the people, and this wonderful lake life.


I was employed by UPS for 34 years and retired to the lake 7 years ago. My hobbies, when not working are boating, cooking, and audio books. I also enjoy volunteering in our wonderful lake area and spending time with my three puppies.


I have had the pleasure of working at The O’Donnell Law Center since December of 2022 as a witness, and completely love being able to meet so many wonderful people and to help them secure their family’s future with the right estate plan.
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