Laurie is a creative, results driven professional with entrepreneurial vision, who has over thirty years of experience greatly impacting growth and performance in both not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. Originally from Colorado and arriving in Florida from North Carolina and Brazil, she landed in Ocala due to her work in the equine industry. Due to her love of the arts, Laurie became one of the original founding members of Marion Cultural Alliance, a not-for-profit arts council which was developed to provide funding for community arts organizations, and subsequently was the chairman of both the inaugural and tenth anniversary Horse Fever public arts projects and the current HF 20/20 Anniversary Collection. She is currently an Honorary Emeritus board member and has served as MCA chairman twice and has been an active board member for many years. While working as the Development Director for the Centers, Laurie designed and created Kidfetti, the first of its kind, kid-centric, outdoor music and cultural festival focusing on the importance of protecting and nurturing the mental and physical wellness of children, and conceived Healing Heart, an art show featuring the works of the physically and/or mentally disadvantaged that celebrate the power of healing through the arts. The results are an exhibit that has moved many to action, personally and/or for area service providers. Laurie was a partner in the creation and foundation of the Silver Springs International Film Festival in Marion County, Florida and served as the volunteer Executive Director of both the festival and the Ocala Film Foundation. Laurie is currently the Development and Community Outreach Director at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), a world-renown research facility that pioneers technologies aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities. She is past Ocala Civic Theatre board chairman and a current Honorary Emeritus board meer, she is the chair of the A/V T