What is your title and department?
Director of Evaluation, IT
What is your favorite Learning Grove core value and why?
My favorite value is “Got your back.” I’ve always liked helping people, and it has been a theme of almost every job I’ve had while working at Learning Grove. The better I am at my job the easier it is for others to be better at theirs.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to run and ride bikes–the longer the better!
What’s your favorite part of your job?
I like to help solve problems. Both IT and evaluations are just a series of problems or questions waiting to be solved and answered. I do not have much formal training in IT, so when I took on these duties, it was a masterclass in problem-solving. I’m thankful to have had that experience because it has spilled over into other parts of my job and personal life.
What’s the most unique part about working here?
I think Learning Grove is special because I honestly feel that if you have a passion, you can find some way to put that passion into work. I’ve had the opportunity to work in many different roles from evaluation to wellness to innovation. Strengths are fostered at Learning Grove.
How have you grown professionally while on our team?
Absolutely! I started as a part-time after-school program assistant director and have been given opportunities ever since. After I graduated from NKU with my Masters in Public Administration, Rick Hulefeld offered me a part-time position at the central office while working in School Age Services. My interview was cutting down the shrubs that predated the statues in front of the Kentucky corporate office (true story). I must have done a pretty good job on those shrubs because he kept finding jobs for me until I eventually settled in as Director of Evaluation.
What was your favorite part about being a child? Or favorite childhood memory.
I loved playing sports, especially basketball and baseball. I am one of 8 children in my family, so we never had trouble finding enough players. Also, my mother was a cake decorator, so I always enjoyed it when she let me help decorate a cake with her.
How does the Learning Grove mission connect to your work?
I feel like my work at Learning Grove is all about helping others perform to their best. While IT and Evaluation are seeming unrelated, the common thread is helping our organization be more effective and more efficient. IT helps all of us be more productive, and Evaluation is all about helping us improve practices, when possible, and show that the work we are doing is making an impact on the children, students, and families we serve.
