Laura Kunkle’s career has taken some unexpected turns—from wanting to be a professional piano player at the Olympics, to sports broadcasting, accounting at Highlights for Children, and eventually a decades-long career in the green industry. Today, she’s the executive director of America in Bloom, an organization helping communities across the country become better places to live, work, visit, and invest in.
In this episode, Laura and I talk about how America in Bloom uses trees, flowers, environmental stewardship, heritage preservation, and—most importantly—volunteerism to help communities see themselves differently. Laura shares the remarkable transformation of Castle Rock, Washington, and explains why communities need to “be in it for the long haul” to create lasting change.
We also get into why plants are more than pretty, how beautiful communities can make us feel good (and encourage us to spend time and money there), and why community involvement is at the heart of lasting change.
And because this is I Dig Your Story, we go beyond the professional story. Laura reveals her hidden talents—juggling! spinning a ball on her finger!—and explains why pickleball became an unexpected way for this self-described shy person to build community.
In this episode:
- Laura’s winding path from sports broadcasting to the green industry
- The 25-year story of America in Bloom
- Why volunteerism is the program’s most powerful ingredient
- How flowers helped transform Castle Rock, Washington
- Why plants are more than pretty
Connect with Laura:
America in Bloom – www.americainbloom.org
Gardens Across America – www.americainbloom.org/programs/gardens-across-america
