Have You Met?

Anyone that knows ML knows that she is a woman of integrity and authenticity. She is a bundle of energy, laughter, and charm. Best known for the founding of the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame 19 years ago, ML is active in many groups in town, including the National Center for Community Relations (NCCR) and the formation of a leadership academy affiliated with NCCR.

She calls herself a "consultant to management" but she is so much more than just that generic term. She jokingly refers to her work as helping "to keep people out of jail," as most nonprofit boards do not understand or know how to implement the Charitable Solicitations Act or fair employment standards.

ML excels at handling the internal side of nonprofit management, such as writing HR policy, creating employee manuals and personnel policy, and board governance. She often works with boards to create better internal communication and functioning, such as reviewing roles and responsibilities and writing job descriptions for board members.

But she is not all work and no play. ML loves to entertain, cooks gourmet food and enjoys fine wines. She is a connector of people and loves to bring people together. Often, she will throw a dinner party or a "craft circle" and encourage her friends to bring something creative to make in her artistic sanctuary. ML can make her own outfits as well as she can crunch numbers!

Regarding her professional background, ML spent 15 years in banking, with a focus on commercial lending and credit. She ran several nonprofits and started her own business in 2002.

ML moved to Colorado in the 70s at a time when there were a lot of "firsts" for women -- such as the laws changing to allow women to include their earnings on mortgage applications, something we take for granted now. "The community came together and women became philanthropists, ran for office and started to take charge of their own lives. It was truly an exciting time to be in Denver," she said.

ML pointed out that Colorado now has the largest number of woman-owned businesses in the U.S. and this has been an economic boon for the state.

Her best advice to younger professional women is to "not take anything for granted and to make sure you have a good retirement plan!"

For her own retirement and in her future, ML plans to write the history of the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. This is sure to be a must-read book, for stories only ML can tell!