Flagler County, FL – Life happens.
One minute it’s 2006, and a bright high school senior is taking part in what was then a rare dual-enrollment program to earn an associate’s degree in office administration. But in the next moment, and before finishing her degree, that keen student is a single mother doing what moms do best – putting her own life on the backburner to focus all of her energy and attention on her children.
Flagler County Procurement Analyst Leanne Burke has a bit of advice for young women who find themselves in her position: “Don’t give up.”
After 15 years of starts and stops, Burke finished her last class with an A. She hasn’t even hung her diploma on her office wall, but is about to start a new academic venture – a bachelor’s degree in Applied Sciences Supervision and Management from Daytona State College.
“You get in this weird place where you start to doubt yourself. I was beginning to think that I just couldn’t do this, finish my degree,” Burke said. “Getting an A in my last class, a speech class that I was dreading, really lifted my confidence.”
Burke has worked for the county since October 2019, first as an administrative assistant for the Financial Services Department before recently applying for – and getting – her current position in purchasing. She worked for the City of Bunnell as a cashier in its utility department before coming to the county.
Her potential was never in question to her immediate supervisor, Purchasing Manager Holly Durrance.
“I knew she’d be great in purchasing, because of everything she did to help me last Spring with the start of COVID and all the supplies we had to scramble to procure,” Durrance said. “I am so proud of her. She has come such a long way.”
Financial Services Director John Brower said his department embraces continual learning.
“When one of us achieves a milestone such as this we all feel a sense of pride,” Brower said. “Leanne is an amazing person, and an amazing part of our team. Her commitment to personal and professional growth is an inspiration. She has a very bright future.”
Burke is also in the process of earning her Public Procurement Associate Designation through the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing.
“There is so much more that I plan to do, but I have to be in my position for a certain length of time before I can test for the next level of certification,” she said. “Before, I kind of felt like I was stuck – like there wasn’t room for professional growth. I don’t feel that way anymore.”
The biggest perk Burke said of her continuing education – and the opportunities it has afforded her – is the influence it has on her three children.
“My oldest, Maci, is about to start FPC (Flagler Palm Coast High School), and she’s in all advanced classes,” Burke said, also noting she’s into cheerleading. “She’ll have a mentor for all for years of high school because she’s been accepted into the ‘Take Stock in Children’ scholarship program, which was an intense application and interview program.”
The program – a non-profit organization in Florida that identifies at risk, low income students and provides support to help them break the cycle of poverty through education – is administered locally by the Flagler County Education Foundation.
“She’ll meet with her mentor once a week for the entire four years,” Burke said, noting that her own mentors, like Durrance, gave her the needed nudge to continue her education. “It’s after they finish that they get a two-year scholarship to any Florida college.”
Burke said the positive effects have also landed on her two younger children, Dylan and Bella, both Bunnell Elementary School students who both play football.
“Bella was in cheer, but she wanted to play football. She’s so cute,” she said as she pulled up a picture on her cell phone of the little girl with a look of determination equal to any professional player on the gridiron. “I just want my kids to know they can do anything.”
Media Release: Flagler County, Julie Murphy, MPIO
