Lee Pesky Learning Center is excited to announce the arrival of its new Executive Director, Dr. Lindy Crawford! Dr. Crawford joins LPLC from Texas Christian University where she was a professor and administrator. Dr. Crawford was also President of the Council for Learning Disabilities. Dr. Crawford will guide LPLC’s operations and advancement, as well as work closely with Dr. Evelyn Johnson to expand our impact. Dr. Johnson remains LPLC’s CEO and focusing on growing our research agenda and projects.
We sat down with Dr. Crawford for an introductory interview. Read on to learn more about Dr. Crawford, her insights, and her goals for LPLC.
An Interview with Dr. Lindy Crawford, Executive Director of Lee Pesky Learning Center
1. What is your background and experience that led you to the Executive Director role at Lee Pesky Learning Center (LPLC)?
Let me start by sharing how excited I am to be leading this well-respected organization with such a rich history, inspiring vision, and compelling mission.
I have been an educator for over 30 years. After earning a degree in special education, I taught elementary, preschool, and middle school students and coached basketball at the middle and high school levels. I earned a school administrator’s license and a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, and since then have taught, conducted research, and held leadership positions in university settings. All of these experiences have brought me to my current role at Lee Pesky Learning Center where everything good about teaching and learning comes together in a way that benefits all learners. Everyone can succeed when supported by smart, dedicated, and compassionate people. The professionals at Lee Pesky Learning Center believe in the potential of all learners to succeed when provided evidence-based practices – and so do I.
2. This position requires you to be a leader. What does that mean to you?
A leader is honest, ethical, and transparent.
A leader understands the importance of having a vision and can see the big picture, while also making sure the primary mission gets accomplished. A leader is strategic and visionary while also being accessible, kind, and humble.
A leader is culturally sensitive and culturally responsive, both of which require strong communication skills.
A leader is innovative and able to help others suspend their judgments and/or their fears so that they can remain open to new ideas.
3. What are your short, medium, and long-term goals for LPLC?
My long-term goal aligns directly with our mission to “understand and overcome obstacles to learning.” Everyone at LPLC is united in a laser focus on better understanding obstacles to learning and implementing evidence-based practices to help children, adolescents, and adults overcome obstacles to learning, whether that involves eliminating, hurdling, or maneuvering around them. Obstacles to learning do not have to be permanent; we all can learn strategies to overcome them.
I have many mid-term goals for Lee Pesky Learning Center – here are three of them:
- Identify what we do well and then leverage the information to improve client outcomes.
- Continue to grow our endowment so that we can provide sustained services to learners and their families for decades to come.
- Grow the quality and quantity of our culturally and linguistically appropriate products and services.
My short-term goal is to listen intently to the voices of students, parents, and families associated with LPLC, learn humbly from the professionals who engage with the work here, and lead with respect for the rich history associated with Lee Pesky Learning Center.
4. How will you work towards achieving these goals in your first year as Executive Director of LPLC?
In my first year at LPLC, I will focus equally on achieving results and cultivating relationships.
I will work as a member of an already established, high-quality team of interventionists, psychologists, counselors, and managers. I know that, through the guidance provided by our CEO, Dr. Evelyn Johnson, I will be well-positioned to achieve these and other goals. Finally, I will help achieve LPLC’s goals through close collaboration with our Board of Directors, led by Mr. Greg Pesky.
One of my favorite sayings is, “Intention without action is insufficient.” Geneva Gay wrote those words many years ago when helping educators engage in culturally responsive practices, but I believe the quote applies to achieving any goal. Good intentions are a place to start but not a place to end.
5. What do you enjoy doing outside of LPLC?
I enjoy spending time at home with my spouse, two dogs, and one cat. I also enjoy visiting my five siblings, many nieces and nephews, and some longtime friends as often as possible. I enjoy scuba diving and snorkeling. Two of my favorite scuba diving and snorkeling destinations are the Maldives and St. John, USVI. I like to run as it clears my mind and helps me keep life in perspective. I love anything that has to do with music, although I am not a musician. I am learning to fly fish, and love anything that has to do with the outdoors.
About Dr. Lindy Crawfrod, Ph.D.
Dr. Lindy Crawford, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Lee Pesky Learning Center. Having dedicated her professional career to helping improve the education and lives of students who learn differently, she has over 30 years of experience as a teacher, trainer, administrator, and researcher. Dr. Crawford believes wholeheartedly that all children can learn and looks forward to leading a group of caring and committed professionals at Lee Pesky Learning Center as we implement evidence-based practices to help students grow their academic and self-regulation skills.
Dr. Crawford spent the first eight years of her career as a special education teacher in Washington State, teaching elementary and middle school students with high-incidence disabilities. After earning a Ph.D. in special education at the University of Oregon, she worked as a university professor and administrator at the University of Oregon, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Texas Christian University. Her research interests are diverse, including mathematical reasoning, students’ use of technology tools for learning, and assessment of students with disabilities. She has published in various journals, some of which include The Journal of Special Education, Exceptional Children, Remedial and Special Education, Assessment for Effective Intervention, and the Journal of Learning Disabilities. Finally, providing time and expertise to the field of education has always been important to Lindy; for example, she has served two terms on the Professional Advisory Board of the National Center on Learning Disabilities and, more recently, served as President of the Council for Learning Disabilities.
A native of the northwest with deep roots in Idaho, Lindy is excited to be a member of the team at Lee Pesky Learning Center and looks forward to contributing to the Center’s work with students, teachers, and families.
