How did you get your start at LCC?  What do you remember most from your first day/week/month?

I remember how surreal I felt when I walked into my high school, Harry Hill, as a Lansing Community College employee in 2000.  My journey started as a Lab Technician for the Star Institute and will end as the Associate Vice President of External Affairs.  What a privilege to have served hundreds of students, parents, and the community over the years.  What I remember the most is changing positions and supervisors at least three times within the first month of employment at LCC.  I remember what an amazing team I worked with at the Star Institute.

In retire I will continue to serve students, parents, employees, and the community in my role as a school board member.  I will teach at my church and continue to volunteer there in several different areas.  My husband won't know what to do when he sees me at home a lot more than he does now.   My husband and I will take our honeymoon after 47 years of marriage, I plan to take him to Hawaii and then to Paris in 2027.  I will be traveling aboard to serve educators and students in other countries as well.  My next trip will take me to Ghana in October 2026.

Have you held different positions at LCC? How would you describe your career path and the role that LCC played in it?

After working 48 years, since I graduated from undergrad, I am humbled by the opportunities I have had over the course of a long career.  In the 25 years I have worked for LCC I have been a Lab Technician, Adjunct Faculty, and part-time and full-time Administrator.  I have had a blast, learning and leading.  My career path has been an adventure, for seventeen years I was in the same position that changed numerous times as more and more K-12 programming was added to my portfolio.  What an opportunity, people believed in me and supported the work that was produced by the amazing teams I worked with,  We worked hard!  LCC allowed me to fly, to create, to nurture, and transform and transition programs when necessary.  Change is difficult but can happen when people trust you to do the right thing for the right reason and do the research.  I have spent the last nine years working to bring in resources for the college through the foundation, grants, and governmental funding.  Though I love K-12, my first position was as a 4th grade teach in Idlewild Michigan, I simply live and breath to engage with the community.  Thank you LCC for allowing me to create windows and doors for the greater Lansing area to access the people's college, LCC. 

What's your favorite memory from your time at LCC? Who are the people who made working here great?

Celebrations!  I love the Star, HSDCI, Early College, ERESA, CCRESA, all the alphabet celebrations.  Traveling with colleagues to present the great work we have accomplished over the years.  Building coalitions, sharing our best and promising practices with the community, other post-secondary colleagues, the LCC community and others. So many memories: Lip Sync (one year I performed with my husband); Touch a Truck Day for HOPE Scholar students; getting calls from former students who now have children of their own who are LCC Stars; Star Day for the Lansing Promise Seniors; the Foundation Scholarship Breakfast where hopeful students are grateful for the generosity of donors; and experiencing former students become LCC co-workers.  So many memories of the fantastic people who work here, who have passed on but will never be forgotten.  They will live in our hearts forever. 

What were your greatest accomplishments or successes while working at LCC?

I am so proud to have worked with so many smart, dedicated people.  I thought the people I worked with at the Department of Natural Resources loved their work, which they do, but LCC folks get the prize.  I am proud to be part of a committed community that live to serve students and see them succeed.  The entire college has gotten behind and supported all of the programming that I have given the opportunity to create and lead.  I am proud of the work of the Star Institute, High School Diploma Completion Initiative, the Early College at LCC, the Coalition for College and Career Readiness, and the Neurodivergent-Friendly Campus Initiative.  I am proud of the community engagement and governmental relations work that led to projects in our academic divisions being funded and I am proud to support students through several funds in the LCC Foundation

What are you looking forward to in your retirement? What plans are you most excited for?

I am most excited that I am healthy and young in mind and spirit, to be able to spend time with my husband, travel with my grandson, and have play dates with my daughter.  I am excited that for the next 20 years I will be able to do many of the things that I love to do by being an educational missionary and give my time, talent and treasure.  On a professional note I am excited that my LCC family will take good care of the work we have done together and take it to the next level and make the work even more dynamic.

Supervisor: Steve Robinson

What's your favorite memory of this employee? Do you have any other positive thoughts to share about this individual?

While I have several favorite memories of working with Toni Glasscoe over the years, my favorite memory was to introduce her at the Michigan-ACE conference as she received the Distinguished Woman in Higher Education award. I have seen Dr. G address a crowd many times, but this incredible celebration of women in higher ed was the perfect audience to recognize her for what she has accomplished. In my brief remarks, I had the opportunity to tell the audience how impactful her leadership had been on me personally. But her remarks were the highlight. Surrounded by her family and the many women leaders from colleges and universities across Michigan, I got to watch Toni realize just how much of an impact she has had on so many leaders. As I travel across the state, I am constantly told stories about how Toni has helped build networks and mentor leaders. Watching her receive this recognition was a highlight of my time working with Toni. I will miss her steady leadership and insightful counsel.