You’ve never met anyone like me! I’ll do my best to describe myself here, but the reality is that the Leslie Draper dynamic is much better understood experientially. I am an inspiring, transformational leader, and once you interact with me for any length of time, you will never view the world the same again.
I’m a community developer and an educator. I am a Christian, but not the type that thinks the values of Trump and Jesus are at all compatible. I am a split-ticket voter with no party loyalty; various issues demand various approaches, in my opinion. I am a mom with fibromyalgia, two brilliant boys (one with autism and one who conquered demonstrating intelligence in standardized formats effortlessly), and an amazing husband (with clinical OCD…picture a few steps shy of being Monk) who has empowered and inspired me to step up into my executive leadership capabilities. I am also a thinker, a reader, a speaker, and a musician.
Big roles for which I’m known:
- Founder and Executive Director of Inspire Academy, a transformational PK – 8 learning community unmatched elsewhere.
- Founding Member and “First Lady” of Urban Light Community Church, and more specifically, the mastermind and original organizer of the Urban Light Annual Block Party, the former Academic Coaching Program, and the original Kids Bible Club that grew and changed into the multi-aged programming for children and youth that we see today.
Areas in which I’m strongest:
- Transforming Dreams and Visions into Real-Life Actions and Systems with Results
- Contagious Passion and Energy
- Efficiency and Time Management
- Helping Others Develop an Insatiable Appetite for Personal Growth
- Community Organizing and Political Activism
Other things I’ve done in my early adult years:
- Taught group and private piano lessons for PK – 8 students, including typical lessons and lessons for students with disabilities
- Nannied 4 boys, all 4 and under
- Served as Recruitment and Retention Specialist and Instructor of Writing and Study Skills for Ivy Tech Potentials Unlimited Learning Lab
- Started a church-based coffee shop back when church-based coffee shops were all the rave
- Mentored children and teens.
