Holly, what drew you to working with Blueprint 1543?
I love the idea of Blueprint 1543’s mission. My faith is very important to me, and I also believe science is important to the decisions we make in today’s society. Bringing together science and faith and the bridging of science and faith communities are extremely appealing to me. In our current times, where there are so many challenging topics and important issues to address, it seems so important to encourage more Christians to go into science fields. It seems appropriate to have what drives our choices and decisions be influenced by our faith as well as informed by scientific evidence. Also, the people here at Blueprint 1543 are top-notch…who wouldn’t want to work with them!
Tell us about your background and experience.
I actually feel like I have come full circle in my career. I started out working in grant management while working at the University of Florida’s College of Education for several years. After that, I became a full-time stay-at-home mom with my three children for 13 years. During this time, I volunteered with several groups mainly in the areas of event planning and fundraisers. When I decided to step back into the working world, I became a part-time Kindergarten teaching assistant for a while. I then had the opportunity to work for a private family foundation (that supports the intersection of faith and science) administrating all aspects of their granting process. With a similar mission, this led me to meet the co-founders of Blueprint 1543. I am excited about the opportunity to also work with them and use my experience and gifts in this organization. I love organizing, I am super detail-oriented, and I love planning and seeing things come together for a great cause. Working with the Blueprint team brings me great joy!
What drives you?
My faith and my family drive me. I want to be a positive influence to others and be a positive example for my family. I also value education – being well informed on all sides of the decisions (sometimes difficult) that we face each day. I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of something that makes a positive impact. Working for Blueprint 1543 gives me such a unique opportunity. This organization nicely wraps up all of my values into a single package. I am excited about the future, and where this adventure leads.
How do you spend your time when you are not working?
I enjoy spending time with my family. With my two older children in college, and my youngest a busy high-school teenager, anytime my family and I can be together is special. My husband and I enjoy hiking, kayaking, bike rides, and taking our dog for a walk. We love a good camping trip with friends and spending time on the beach with family. And games…we love a good game night. We also enjoy cooking together and trying new recipes.
What is your favorite movie?
That is so hard to choose because I love so many good movies, especially the feel-good ones that have happy endings and the ones that make me laugh. But if I had to pick just one, I guess I would pick Sweet Home Alabama. Being a southern girl myself, there are so many humorous, southern cultural references and funny lines that I can relate to. This is one of those movies that I can watch over and over again and laugh every time.