Honoring Lee Ann Powell

Dr. Linda Silverman

On September 13, 1996, ten days after her birthday, B. Lee Ann Powell, joined Gifted Development Center office staff and soon became our beloved Office Manager. She served in this capacity until 2016, devoting over 20 years of her life to keeping GDC running smoothly. During lean times, Lee Ann would hold her own checks for months, making sure everyone else got paid. Incredibly dedicated, Lee Ann worked long hours, well beyond anyone else, and even came in on some weekends. When asked to create a job description for herself, Lee Ann said, “I do Everything!” She listened daily to distraught parents; explained our services; juggled complex schedules of parents, examiners, and senior staff members; reviewed reports and made necessary changes; organized ISAD Board meetings; assisted with conferences; remembered everyone’s birthdays, and often lovingly baked them cakes. She found furniture and pictures for the office. She would share with the staff related newspaper articles. Parents loved her. Lee Ann always put parent needs first. She made an indelible impression on all who knew her.

Even after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer and undergoing endless exhausting treatments, Lee Ann attended all Board meetings for six years until November 10, 2022, three weeks before she passed on December 1st. She knew so much about the history of our organization that she was a wealth of information at every Board meeting. Her attention to detail was unparalleled. She always reviewed the Board Minutes and offered astute corrections. She will be sorely missed.

The development of children’s abilities was important to Lee Ann, and she wanted everyone who sought assessment at GDC to be served. She offered payment plans, reduced fees, and scholarships to as many children as she could. In her honor, we are setting up a Lee Ann Powell Scholarship Fund. If Lee Ann touched your life, please help us honor her legacy by contributing to her scholarship fund.