How we got here...

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I am beyond fortunate to have had access to community service opportunities throughout my life. These experiences convinced me of one thing...no matter how much you think you are "giving", you always end up "getting" more.  Life lessons picked up during college service and immersion trips in Exmore, VA, Cuernavaca, Mexico and Navajo Nation are far more valuable than any wall painted or wood chopped.

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The first 20 years of my career allowed me to facilitate community service and leadership development programs for teens, perhaps the most rewarding part of my professional life and no matter how much I hoped to "teach", I always ended up "learning" more.

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In 2015, while working towards my Master's Degree at Clemson University, I sat against a tree on the campus green thinking about starting an LLC that would focus on working with youth to develop leadership skills and participate in community service projects, including  weekly skill building meetings, monthly projects, etc.  It seemed like a great idea, but finding the time to actually get the ball rolling would be a major obstacle and for the moment this would probably just be a "someday" idea, with no real plan to launch.

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When the covid-19 crisis hit, long walks led to thinking more deeply about the idea.  For years, the pandemic lingered and negative impacts on youth began to emerge: isolation, anxiety, confusion etc. Young people, already inclined to technological forms of communication had been physically removed from one another halting critical developmental milestones for youth of all ages.   

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As the world slowly reopened, it seemed like a good time to provide young people with fun opportunities to develop skills, reconnect with peers, and volunteer.  Palmetto Consulting formed in the summer of 2022 and has been an absolute blast! Year two promises to be even better! 

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