Laverne Hillis McLeodLaVerne McLeod is Founder and Facilitator of Bridge Building Workshops(c)2013 - under her sole proprietor business, Purple Feather Press. Based on her childhood rearing in the South, she authored a Civil Rights era novel called CORN HOLLOW, a historial fiction first published in 2016 and a second edition in 2019. She has recently published another book, THE CROSSROADS of SOCIAL and CLIMATE JUSTICE, an intersectional non- fiction depicting issues and possible solutions to help resolve social and climate injustices. McLeod is a public speaker, author, workshop facilitator and theatrical presenter. Some of her speaker venues include Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey Museum of Art with its lecture series, her TEDx talk at San Jose State University and others. She has taught middle grades in the public schools, privately taught in a Montessori School, served as teacher and staff supervisor at Esalen Institute's Gazebo School and has been a public-school counselor. She is currently on Faculty at Esalen Institute facilitating workshops on campus. She loves community volunteer work. Her passions are social and climate justice. Currently, she serves as Co-Chair of Big Sur Advocates for a Green Environment. LaVerne holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Master of Arts in Counselor Education from Missouri State University with Continuing Education work from San Jose State University. She lives on the coast of Big Sur, CA with her husband. Read More Read Less