ABOUT ME
Hi, I'm Elaine!
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Where I Come From
I grew up in Macon, Georgia in the 1960s and 70s and have lived in Kentucky for almost 30 years (half my life). My father was a heavy equipment mechanic and worked on logging equipment in the central and south Georgia woods. My mother was a stay-at-home mom who did her best to manage my two brothers and me.
I never knew if the electricity would work or if the water would be cut off when I got home from school. Our mother suffered from severe mental illness and depression. There were no cell phones, so when Dad left for work, he was out of contact until he got home, often after dinner time.
The singular constant for me and my brothers was school. We knew that when we were at school, it would be safe, clean, and reliable. Like most Kentuckians, if not for my public school education, I would not have had the opportunities the shaped my life.
My Career
I taught middle and high school band, music, and chorus for 16 years. My life's mission has been to help others improve their lives, as many, many people helped me improve mine.
After leaving education, I have worked with various non-profits, including Meals on Wheels of Tampa, the Alzheimer's Association, and the Great American Brass Band Festival.
Believing that it's never to late to follow your dreams, I went to law school in 2012, the year I turned 50-years old. After graduating, I founded a non-profit in Danville called The Gladys Project. It is named after my maternal grandmother and my mother, as they, and I, are all Gladys'.
The Gladys Project provides learning opportunities primarily for children who don't have access to preschool so they will be ready to start kindergarten with their peers.
I currently am an educational consultant and work with districts, schools, and individuals on classroom management. I also educate adults to recognize signs of adult predatory grooming in order to keep children safe from sexual abuse.
Politics today are filled with folks who are obligated to interests outside of Kentucky. Out-of-state think tanks are writing Kentucky laws and deciding how we will be taxed. People with lots of money continue to see tax breaks while folks like us pay more and more for the basics.
It's time to bring the focus to real Kentuckians, you and me, who work to pay our bills, provide a good life for those we love, and create a future where our state thrives from cities to the knobs, to the farms.
There will be issues on which the Left and Right will disagree. But the one thing we all want to have a good life. That starts with electing people, like me, who want better for all Kentuckians, who is not obliged to Big Money donors, or party-only politics. I promise to listen, no matter your political leaning. We must work to do what's best for Kentuckians, not outside interests.
I am no one's puppet!