Pam O'Donnell
Pam O’Donnell is a dedicated Distracted and Impaired Driving Safety Advocate and Public Speaker, serving through her non-profit organization, the Catch You Later Foundation. Based in Bayonne, New Jersey, Pam has turned profound personal tragedy into a mission to save lives and educate communities. After surviving a year-long battle with cancer in 2014, Pam faced an unimaginable loss in 2016 when her husband, Tim O’Donnell, a high school teacher, and their five-year-old daughter, Bridget, were killed in a preventable car crash. This pivotal moment inspired Pam to ensure that their legacy contributes to preventing similar tragedies for other families.
In the wake of this loss, Pam founded the Catch You Later Foundation to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted and impaired driving, while also supporting local students through small scholarships to Hudson County high schools. As a public speaker, she has shared her story with law enforcement, educators, students, and communities across New Jersey and New York State, highlighting the real-life consequences of unsafe driving behaviors. Her presentations combine heartfelt storytelling with practical safety guidance, leaving a lasting impact on her audiences.
Pam’s professional achievements include becoming the first civilian in New Jersey to earn instructor certification for the NJ State Trooper Academy, reflecting her commitment to public safety education. She also hopes to expand her impact by writing a book about her story and connecting with publishers and authors to bring her journey and advocacy to a wider audience. With certifications from Hudson County Safety Training and extensive experience as a public speaker and advocate, Pam continues to ensure that her family’s memory serves as a powerful catalyst for awareness, education, and change in the fight against distracted and impaired driving.
• Hudson County Safety Training
• NJ State Police
• NJ State Police Instructor Training Course
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• National Safety Council
• International Association of Chiefs of Police
• Families For Safe Streets
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to resilience, purpose, and the determination to turn personal tragedy into meaningful action. The loss of my husband and young daughter in a preventable car crash, combined with surviving brain cancer and life-threatening challenges, taught me the importance of courage, perseverance, and using my experiences to serve a greater purpose. By channeling these experiences into advocacy, education, and public speaking, I’ve been able to make an impact in raising awareness about distracted and impaired driving and inspiring others to take action for safety and change.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to tell MY story, there are plenty of advocates out there but there is only one O’Donnell Family story that keeps evolving and changing as the days go by. Be Authentic!
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice for young women is to know your worth, there will be 100 no’s before you get a yes. All women of all ages have it in them to do exactly what they need to do to fulfill their dreams. As a softball coach and a teacher, my now deceased husband always instilled in myself and our two girls, quitting is not an option, we must persevere and be resilient through it all. As he would often tell during a game or practice “one inning, one base, one out at a time” that is just how I live my life now.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The two biggest challenges for me in my field is booking those dates to speak and raising funds for our scholarships and the foundation to be able to continue spreading awareness of the ramifications of distracted and impaired driving.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My most important value for work and personal life is to not sugar coat anything. Being authentic is so incredibly important when it comes to these topics. It’s a hard story to share with absolutely no happy ending so there can be no sugar coating or tip toeing around the traumatic events that took place in 2014 with the cancer and eventually in 2016 with the car crash and death of half my family.