I had taken a four-year break from politics, but missed the close comradery that I had before, especially since moving to a more remote area. While brainstorming, I happened upon a 2012 email announcing that I won a LOLA activist photo contest. LOLA was the perfect answer to my problem, a way to have fun and make female friends while leading a push for liberty without political obstacles. Since there was no LOLA group yet in Charlotte, I formed one.

What is your favorite part of your role with LOLA?

Pushing the envelope by looking into things I have never done before, debating issues and meeting with like-minded women. There are so many liberty-minded women out there and over 1500 in Charlotte.  

Why is LOLA important to you and women in Charlotte and throughout North Carolina?

Our chapter is the first one in North Carolina and will be a key force in getting women more involved in the liberty movement in NC’s largest and more progressive city.  

Can you tell us how you found liberty?

A co-worker of my former husband was a libertarian and involved with the local Libertarian Party group. He invited us to meetings and lent us the book, “How Government Doesn’t Work” by Harry Browne. After I read it, my eyes were open, and I woke up. I started noticing what politicians do as opposed to what they say, and I was angry.

How do you balance being a LOLA chapter leader with other roles in your daily life?

I am extremely busy, but while organizing events in the past I have come to realize that planning is more brain work than action. Once you get over the mental hurdle of “Oh gosh I need to organize!” you just put ideas out there, pick a place, date & time and promote it. Delegating is important also, but action is most important. It takes less time than many probably realize, and if your group is in a large city. It’s a good idea to plan events nearest you, and if someone else wants an event in their section of town, they can take charge.

Please tell us about other roles you play in both your professional and personal life.

First and foremost; I am a BIG fan of the Institute for Justice at IJ.org. I have included them in my will and trust, regularly donate and share IJ’s successes and stories of liberty lawsuits on social media and wherever I go. I have an IJ tattoo and I have a personalized license plate promoting IJ as well as a sticker of the IJ logo on my car. Like LOLA, IJ allows me to push for more liberty without taking a political party side. I feel this keeps others more open-minded to liberty ideas. Every minute we interact with others is an opportunity to share the ideas of freedom.

I am a mother of two children, one grown with her own child. My husband has a sporadic work schedule so making at least half of our events child-friendly is important to me as well as others who juggle family duties.

At work, I am well respected as the hard-working friendly and helpful face of my employer’s mortgage department. I assign work, help others, give advice, research, and look out for the best interests of our clients. I do creative work at my job and at home, writing, designing, drawing, painting, and tackling other creative projects. In addition, I love to support other artists, work out and read.  

I feel LOLA’s most important job as a group is to have FUN, create bonds between women as a support network and educate each other. Second is to create confidence through leadership skills to advocate for our issues with a liberty perspective. I encourage everyone to participate in your local LOLA group, form one if you don’t have one, and collaborate with other groups to plan and promote events. It will enrich your life tremendously.