Jennfer Sanders

She’s made a career out of finding out whether others follow that advice.

Sanders owns and is an investigator for Paragon Investigations LLC, a company that provides services including background checks and surveillance.

Sanders said she and her staff also are dedicated to educating the community about issues she deals with on a daily basis.

“We spend considerable time speaking to many groups on topics that include the importance of doing background checks, knowing who you hire, identity theft, workers’ compensation fraud, employee theft, workplace violence and elder abuse,” she said.

Sanders also speaks to students and to clients of the Missouri Career Center on the importance of honesty and accuracy on job applications and résumés.

Sanders came to Springfield 12 years ago as a student at Drury University, where she earned a degree in criminal justice. She founded Paragon Investigations about 10 years ago.

Since then, the company has served more than 1,500 clients. Most of them are in Missouri and Oklahoma, though some are from other parts of the country.

Sanders said she is specifically concerned about the needs of not-for-profit organizations, for which she has developed a discounted background check program.

“I am committed to Springfield and believe that community involvement is a critical responsibility we all share,” said Sanders.

Sanders has volunteered for many local organizations including the Sertoma Chili Cookoff for the Boys and Girls Club, the Convoy of Hope, Ozarks Public Television, Springfield Little Theatre and Relay for Life.

She also holds memberships in numerous local and national organizations.

Born: 1972

What book do you currently have open? “Seinfeld: The Totally Unauthorized Tribute (Not That There's Anything Wrong with That),” by David Wild

Quote to live by: “Time works both for us and against us depending on how we use it.” – David Ben Gurion

What are some stocks that you watch? Ethelm, Godiva, Hershey. I would rather eat my stock than watch (it).[[In-content Ad]]