Meet The Team

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The visionary behind Empower & Shine! Patty has decades of nonprofit experience and is a fierce supporter of numerous organizations. She is a philanthropist through and through!

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Fun Fact – I love sparking joy in another person by doing random acts of kindness!  When I feel their joy, it makes my heart sing!  It’s the best feeling. I also love spending time with all of my children and grandchildren.

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What You Love About the Cause – I love raising awareness and empowering people to make choices to live their best life.  Education is powerful!   “Do the best you can until you know better.  Then when you know better, do better”.  -Maya Angelou

How You Are Involved – I’m Joelle “Joey” Lever, Executive Director of Empower & Shine. I help keep our projects moving and share the stories behind them. Patty and I do some of our best brainstorming on site, where a quick project check can turn into “What if we…?” and a whole new plan. We’re usually ready to say yes before we’ve even left. And if our next idea takes us somewhere, give me 20 minutes to pack and I’m there.​

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What You Love About the Cause – I love to see the passion and love the Empower and Shine team brings to EVERY effort no matter how big or small the project is. But what I love most, is the Empower and Shine culture. We have perfected the art of seeing the “unseen.”

A passionate supporter of people​, Steve is tireless in his work and has been a driving force behind Empower & Shine from the very beginning. 

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What You Love About the Cause – Empower and Shine stands for so many of the things that I care about deeply. I have already made such incredible connections, and have been inspired by how many people both near and far are working to help others. Being surrounded by people who genuinely care for others, work to make a difference, and have such positive, inspiring spirits has been truly special!

Ronald Musabe is Empower & Shine’s Chief Operating Officer in Uganda and an integral part of our team. He is a Rotarian, serving as Director of Corporate Partnerships and International Relationships and President Nominee of his club.