Leslie Galbreath
2015 Spirit Award Recipient
nominated by RiverSong Chorus
Her mantra developed early in her life – “You do so much others; now do this for yourself” – something she preached to every potential new member, realizing way back then that today’s woman needed more than just family and work; she needed to be fulfilled, happy, and doing something for herself that she loved AND to be a role model for her children – that work and play need to have a balanced role in all our lives. She lives up to that mantra to this day.
Throughout her 20+ years as a Sweet Adeline, she has offered much of herself to her chorus, to her region, and to the international organization, bringing her talents for organization and “friend-raising” to the table. As she expanded her knowledge and skills through her work and educational experiences, she brought those new talents into her Sweet Adelines world, facilitating strategic planning sessions and collaboration models rarely experienced at the rank-and-file chorus level.
Her particular passion is for organization and “friend-raising”. When she joined Sweet Adelines, she did what she does o well – she quickly took stock of the opportunities for growth, some for herself, but mostly for what was available for others if they only knew how to dream, plan, and reach for the success that could be theirs. She was elected Membership Development Representative within a year of joining and participated in the regional task force that redefined the regional education direction and goals. She was a member of the international task force that developed the Ready-Set-Grow program. She was one of two region members to bring four new members in a single year.
Leslie has been a member of Sweet Adelines and the same chorus for 23 years. In addition to her myriad of Sweet Adeline responsibilities and activities, she has still found the time to further her own education, earning not only Bachelors and Masters Degrees, but also a Doctorate in Education, Educational Leadership, and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri.
She is a champion of collaboration and teamwork.
She is known and respected by her own chorus, region leadership and members, and by the International Board and Faculty members.