Nancy Lemon is the Founder & CEO of Girls With Confidence. She has been conducting workshops for young girls in the Tampa Bay area since 2004. Nancy started her work helping girls develop stronger self-esteem and confidence with The Ophelia Project as a mentor for their Young Women's Leadership Board and as a Certified Girls Circle Facilitator.
Nancy founded Girls With Confidence in 2011 with the focus on starting confidence building at an early age. She saw there was a huge need for programs that help young girls develop a love for themselves at an early age and for teen girls to manage through the challenging times of dealing with peer pressure, fitting in and making good decisions.
Nancy decided to establish the non-profit The Confidence & Leadership Foundation to help scholarship more young ladies. Every girl should be allowed the same opportunity to attend our programs regardless of their families financial circumstances. Donations in this area will allow girls to attend confidence & leadership building programs such as after school workshops, events or summer camps. In addition, The Confidence & Leadership Foundation will be able to provide programming for organizations, communities and schools in need.
Nancy is also the President of Professional Development Group (est. 1999) where she is a corporate trainer and consultant in the area of Leadership and Interpersonal Communications. Some of her clients include Mosaic, Hillsborough Community College, Polk State College, Walmart, Blue Cross Blue Shield and many more. Nancy has been facilitating workshops for adults and children for the past 30 years. Nancy lives in Lithia, FL with her husband Brian of 28 years. Her son Jake, attends Canisius College in NY.
Karen enjoyed a 33 year sales and management career with Colgate-Palmolive. She was hired on campus at Clemson University in 1986. She worked with customers and managed sales teams in Tennessee, Texas, Michigan and Florida. She was a certified global trainer and mentored and inspired countless Colgate employees throughout her career. She was the recipient of eight Hall of Fame Awards, 4 You Can Make A Difference Awards and was the first recipient of the Colgate Lifetime Achievement Award. She was an officer in the Florida division of The Network of Executive Women, a consumer goods and services organization.
Karen retired in 2019 and enjoys time with her husband Jorge, daughters Kristen (Ryan) Coultas, and Lindsey Morrell. She is active in her church, serves on the membership committee at River Hills and is on her community’s HOA Board in Anna Maria. Her hobbies include golf, the beach, and most recently volunteering with her therapy dog Jakki. We couldn't be happier to have Karen join our board.
Shayla grew up in the Tampa Bay Area and was one of our very first participants to attend Girls With Confidence, where she gained valuable life lessons.
Shayla graduated from Florida State University with a double major in Business Management and Marketing and a minor in Psychology. At FSU, she was President of the Case Competition Club, active in Delta Zeta sorority, and served on the kNOw More Student Advisory Board to promote awareness of power-based personal violence.
Passionate about helping others, Shayla creates environments for individuals to reach their authentic selves. In her free time, she enjoys being with family and friends and going for long walks.
The Confidence & Leadership Foundation is a 501c 3 nonprofit organization that was formed in the Fall of 2019 to help support Girls & Boys With Confidence in 2 main areas of scholarships and special projects where kids need extra support and guidance. As many of you know, many hands make light work and we have some amazing women who have stepped up to help make these goals possible.
Susan Giffin joined our volunteer team at Girls with Confidence in 2021 and our board in 2022. Susan is an advocate for supporting the healthy development of the young women and men in our community. Susan works with community organizations including church ministries, youth organizations and women’s outreach centers.
Susan and her family moved to Fishhawk in 2016 and are thankful for the community that has welcomed them. Susan has 15 years of professional experience in human resources, finance and counseling. Her husband owns his own consulting business. They are eager to support the community that they now call home.
Their family enjoys being on our beautiful ocean either boating or fishing and spending days in our many area amusement and animal parks. They travel as much as their schedule allows, to new places as well as to visit family that lives across the country. They love being Floridians, but will always be Ohio State Buckeye and Pittsburgh Steeler’s fans!
Greg Rusch Joined Boys With Confidence as our Program Director in 2021 and is also the Director of Youth Ministries, Radical Hospitality, and Operations at Grace Community UMC at Fishhawk. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Florida and is a 2013 graduate of YMI.
He has been at Grace since 2002 and has been on staff since 2011. He also leads a ministry called Young Life in the lithia area. The kids LOVE Mr. Greg and we are thrilled to have him involved with being our lead instructor at Boys With Confidence and also supporting our foundation as a board member but also as an instructor with the programs at sever Title 1 schools.
He is married to Cindy, a registered nurse. They have 2 children, Emily & Derrick.
Jayme Fin is thrilled to join The Confidence & Leadership Board. She is a mom of two with a background in teaching and special education, Jayme is passionate about supporting children’s growth and helping them feel valued. She and her family have actively volunteered at Lucky Lemon Farm, where they have a special connection with the animals. Jayme's daughter, Alyza, is also a GWC camper and is excited to assist her mom in the after-school classes.
Beyond her work with GWC, Jayme is deeply committed to community service and raising awareness for pediatric cancer. She is involved with the Valrico Academy PTSO, the Parent Advisory Committee at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, and serves as a new board member for the Girls With Confidence Foundation. Jayme’s mission is to inspire and empower children while fostering an environment of love, support, and confidence. In her free time, she enjoys family trips to the beach, traveling, and creating lasting memories with her loved ones.
