Grace

Grace grew up like many . . . wearing cool bellbottoms, sporting a Farah Fawcett haircut, accessorizing with a mood ring and checking in with her “magic” eight ball.

She herself was the youngest of eight . . . striving to always be heard over the noise of the house.

Now a single mother of three grown children and a “Gigi” of five, she is enjoying a richness of life not even the “eight ball” had hinted at.

A college graduate ready to “take on the world”, she entered the male dominated utility industry at AEP (American Electric Power).

Human Resources was her area, where she learned much about teamwork, influence, and human behavior.

Grace was involved in many professional organizations and was instrumental in creating “EWRT”, the Electrical Women’s Roundtable. A professional organization that has now developed into a much larger and multi-industry group.

Her true passion lied in being a mother. Once that calling came, that is where her energy went.

Life took a turn, she found herself raising her three children on her own, one with special needs. Ensuring that she would be a part of their daily lives, Grace left the HR world with its traditional hours.

With a night job, Grace was able to lean on her in-college job skills as a bartender to be able to support her family and still be there for all their daytime activities . . . sleep being the only casualty of this near perfect compromise.

Grace acted as a home room parent for her children’s classrooms, volunteered for school recess duty, and was on many school committees, never regretting her choice to be a mother first.

Fast forward, Grace’s children now grown, she maintains her same job realizing that it is not “just a job” but a mission field and the instrument that brought her children into healthy adulthood. As her children began pursuing their own careers, she was blessed with meeting her soulmate, realizing that it was all about timing.

Grace’s compassion for people and entrepreneurial spirit led to co-creating a project, “Keep it REAL . . . with Grace and Debbie!”, with longtime friend and business partner Debbie.

Sharing what those in their “prime” look like today and how they are re-branding “middle age”.

Grace enjoys all things family, she continues to share the importance of living a healthy lifestyle in all ways: mentally, physically and spiritually while sharing her faith in Christ.