Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E.

Lucia Bone, Founder & President
Sue’s sister, and Founder of The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E., Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment.
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Lucia Bone, Sue’s sister, is the founder of The Sue Weaver CAUSE, Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment.

In 2004, Ms. Bone established the not for profit organization in order to promote safety awareness and education to employers and consumers to the necessity of criminal background checks on all service employees, contractors and sub-contractors hired to work in or near our homes.

Lucia campaigns nationwide sharing The Sue Weaver CAUSE and the importance of their mission with audiences large and small. Civic groups, community leaders, legislators, business professionals and consumers have all learned first hand the importance of Lucia's message.

One of Lucia's goals is for national legislation requiring criminal background checks on all service employees, contractors and sub-contractors. With national legislation and the support of the insurance industry, businesses could be forced to conduct background checks before hiring in-home service workers. "It is absurd for a person with multiple convictions for sexual assaults to be engaged as a in-home service employee, yet it happens all the time", Lucia adds.

A threat to consumers' safety due to inadequate or non-existent background checks of people being employed to come into your home is a real and serious danger. "Sue’s death was a tragedy! However, it is even more alarming because this was not an isolated incident. Every year, innocent people become victims of sexual and physical assault in their homes by workers hired as service employees with criminal records. Sue trusted the company she hired to do service work in her home and THAT TRUST COST SUE HER LIFE in 2001," says Lucia.

CAUSE has been featured in numerous television and newspaper interviews across the country. In 2004, Lucia appeared as one of the feature stories on The Montel Williams Show, "Taking Back My Life".

What happened to Sue could and should have been prevented!

Lucia Bone’s Background

In the mid 1990’s, Lucia Bone and her sister, Sue Weaver, each opened their own custom embroidery and design digitizing companies in Texas and Florida. Their closeness as sisters only increased as they grew their businesses together. Today Lucia only occasionally does design digitizing. CAUSE is her passion; she now focuses on making a difference in her sister's memory. Lucia doesn't want there to ever be another victim of in-home service providers.

Prior to opening her embroidery business, Lucia’s career was in marketing. She is a graduate of the Minority Business Advancement Program at the University of Texas in Austin, and studied Textile and Clothing in Business at Arizona State University.

Lucia and her husband Michael are the proud parents of three children and one grandson. She enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

Michael Bone, Co-founder & Treasurer
Michael Bone, Co-Founder of The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E., first met Sue Weaver in 1972 while dating her sister, Lucia. Sue and Mike were more than in-laws, they were good friends. Mike often offered her technical assistance since he was familiar with all aspects of operating her embroidery business. Sue and Lucia had mirrored their businesses off of each other.

Mike graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Marketing in 1977. He joined the FAA in 1982 at Kansas City International Airport as an Air Traffic Control Specialist. In 1987, Mike transferred to Dallas/Fort Worth were he still works today.

Mike and Lucia are the proud parents of three wonderful children and two grandsons. Mike enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, skiing, riding his Harley and looks forward to retirement when he can add golf and fishing back into his schedule.

Sherri Bobbitt, Past President
Sherri Bobbitt was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. She has over 20 years working in the customer service and marketing areas. She currently is Regional Director, Marketing & Business Development for Learning Care Group, parent company to five brands of early childhood education centers. Sherri is always very active in her community & has served on various boards in the community throughout the years. Sherri has her Bachelors Degree in Organizational Communications from St. Edward's University in Austin, TX. Sherri's major hobby is to travel the world and the enjoyment of her puppy Daisy.

Dr. Stacy Bone - Rapp, Vice President
Stacy is the niece of Sue Weaver and daughter of C.A.U.S.E. Founders Mike and Lucia Bone. Stacy is a Parker graduate with a Doctorate in Chiropractic and a Bachelors of Science in Health & Wellness. She is presently practicing at HealthQuest Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Flower Mound, TX.

Jennifer Charles Bone, Secretary
Jennifer is married to one of Sue Weaver's nephews, Matthew. Majoring in elementary education, she is a graduate of SFA . Jennifer teaches kindergarten in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Matt and Jennifer are the proud parents of our Founder's first grandbaby.

Lesley Miller (Founding Board Member)
Lesley Miller was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky graduating from the University of Kentucky with a degree in accounting. After ten years in data processing and payroll services she has been involved in healthcare and medical sales since 1989. She is currently Vice President of sales for Nellcor, a division of Tyco Healthcare.

Roger Miller (Founding Board Member)
Roger L. Miller was born in St. Joseph Missouri and has known Mike and Lucia Bone since 1975. Roger attended Missouri Western State College. He remains active in the Boy Scouts of America. Roger has been involved in the healthcare industry and medical sales for over 30 years. He is currently employed with Nellcor, a division of Tyco Healthcare.

Roger and Lesley enjoy motorcycling and spending time with their three children and three grandchildren.

John Overchuck
John Overchuck has dedicated his legal career to the representation of clients who have found themselves pitted against many of the largest corporations in both the United States and abroad.

lucia bone

John Overchuck has dedicated his legal career to the representation of clients who have found themselves pitted against many of the largest corporations in both the United States and abroad. Products liability has been the focus of his work resulting in the exposure of defects in the design of many of the automobiles traveling the roads of America today. His vast knowledge of automotive defective issues includes work on cases involving defective seatbelts, vehicles with a propensity to roll over, roofs that crush and cause catastrophic injuries rather than protect the occupant, and vehicles that ignite and burn their occupants.

His work is not limited to automotive defects, he also represents clients in countless other defective and hazardous product/material cases including toxic torts, fabrics that burn like newspaper, mattresses that explode when ignited with an open flame, and machinery that exposes the user to extreme danger because of design defects. Highlighting his career is his work exposing the practices of the country’s most highly visible establishments who callously expose their customers to dangers that include rape, murder, and death.

His vast knowledge of the law and experience gained from his accumulated years as an aggressive trial lawyer allows him to represent consumers who have suffered injury or death as the result of a harmful product or practice.

Practice Areas

He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1968 and specializes in personal injury, wrongful death, products liability and negligence.

Member

Orange County (Member: Medical-Legal Committee, 1971-1972; Judicial Administrative Committee, 1976-1977) and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar; Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (Member, SustainingMember, Diplomate and Member, Board of Directors, 1983-1988); American Board of Trial Advocates (Member); The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Member, M-Club; Faculty Member, Interim Chair; Establish Butane Lighter Litigation Group; Jeep Litigation Group); International Society of Barristers.

Board of Directors

Attorneys Information and Exchange Group (AIEG), 1986—; "Safe," Safety Attorneys Federation, Inc.

Published Works

"How to Handle the Economist," Matthew Bender; "Damages in Tort Actions," Chapter 125-136; "Products Liability in Florida-Trial Voir Dire," Opening Statement and Closing Argument, Volume 9 as Legal Consultant. (Also Of Counsel to, Dobson Kitchen & Smith, Tallahassee, FL)

Cindy Raffles
Cindy Raffles currently works as a paralegal for the law firm, Overchuck, Byron, & Overchuck , in Orlando, Florida. Most of her legal career has been spent working on products liability cases with a primary focus on automotive defect cases. Before joining the Overchuck, Byron, & Overchuck law firm, she worked with plaintiff attorneys throughout the United States on their automotive product liability cases performing research and providing trial exhibit support. Cindy also held the position of Program Director for the Institute for Injury Reduction, a non-profit organization that exposed hazardous products and practices through news programs including 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Dateline.

Joan Chapman has over ten years of government affairs experience. She currently works as a Government Affairs Manager for ChoicePoint. Prior to joining ChoicePoint, Joan worked for a national public affairs firm that focused on grassroots advocacy and nonprofit issue management. She has also served as the Executive Director of a political action committee for a large trade association and as a legal staffer at the Georgia General Assembly. Ms. Chapman graduated with honors from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies/ Law and Society. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband, Dan, and their baby daughter.