Hi, I'm Martha!
I’ve spent my entire career helping educators and students discover their own remarkable potential through creativity and connection. I began as a humanities teacher, blending English Language Arts and Social Studies into project-based learning (PBL) experiences that sparked curiosity and empowered student voices. My passion for nurturing creativity and leadership led me to become a school librarian, where I served as a servant leader, guiding student-driven initiatives from the heart of the school.
Now, as an Adobe Education Evangelist for Adobe Express, I’ve taken my mission to a larger scale - advocating for creativity in education and supporting educators worldwide. I believe that creativity isn’t just an outcome; it’s a pathway for students to explore, express, and engage with the world around them. Through my work with Adobe and as an ISTE Ambassador, I help educators build classrooms and libraries that center creativity, mental health, and student voice, making a positive impact in their communities.
At the core of everything I do is a simple belief: We’re all capable of discovering something remarkable within ourselves, and when we do, we have the power to create change. Whether through keynotes, workshops, or collaborative projects, I’m here to help you ignite creativity, foster community, and empower your students to discover their own remarkable paths.
Now, as an Adobe Education Evangelist for Adobe Express, I’ve taken my mission to a larger scale - advocating for creativity in education and supporting educators worldwide. I believe that creativity isn’t just an outcome; it’s a pathway for students to explore, express, and engage with the world around them. Through my work with Adobe and as an ISTE Ambassador, I help educators build classrooms and libraries that center creativity, mental health, and student voice, making a positive impact in their communities.
At the core of everything I do is a simple belief: We’re all capable of discovering something remarkable within ourselves, and when we do, we have the power to create change. Whether through keynotes, workshops, or collaborative projects, I’m here to help you ignite creativity, foster community, and empower your students to discover their own remarkable paths.
Guiding Creativity & Community Building
With over 50 national and international presentations, I’ve dedicated my career to helping educators and students discover their own remarkable potential through the intersection of creativity, social-emotional learning, and the transformative role of libraries. As a recognized leader in the field named Coastal Georgia School Librarian of the Year (2018), District Librarian of the Year (2019), an AASL Social Media Superstar for Advocacy, former Georgia Library Media Association President, and one of the 30 K-12 IT Influencers for 2023 by EdTech Magazine - I’m proud to contribute to the ongoing evolution of education.
My work has taken me to leading conferences such as ISTE, AASL, Future Ready Librarian Summits, GaETC, GLMA Summits, AETC, TETC, and FETC, where I’ve presented on the power of creativity, student voice, and transformative educational practices. Through these presentations, I strive to build lasting connections and inspire others to foster creative, student-centered spaces where learning thrives.
Here are a few ways I’ve shared these ideas:
Each presentation and conversation I’ve led ties back to my core mission: to help educators and students harness creativity as a pathway to discovering their own remarkable potential.
My work has taken me to leading conferences such as ISTE, AASL, Future Ready Librarian Summits, GaETC, GLMA Summits, AETC, TETC, and FETC, where I’ve presented on the power of creativity, student voice, and transformative educational practices. Through these presentations, I strive to build lasting connections and inspire others to foster creative, student-centered spaces where learning thrives.
Here are a few ways I’ve shared these ideas:
- Podcast Highlights
- Future Ready Librarians Podcast: Supporting Student Agency in Hybrid Teaching
- School Librarians United: Social-Emotional Learning: The New Literacy
- School Librarians United: #TeachSDGs
- Undisrupted (Future Ready Schools) Podcast: Empowering Creativity in Education
- Articles & Thought Leadership
- Knowledge Quest (AASL), May/June 2024: Beyond the Books: Libraries as Catalysts for Sustainable Change
- Perspectives on Reading, 2020: Two Key Ways School Libraries Can Impact Social-Emotional Learning
- Conference Presentation Highlights
- Featured Speaker for FETC 2025, Library Leaders Track
- Storytelling Beyond the Shelf: Empowering Innovative Narratives in Our School Libraries
- Maker Magic: Empowering Student Agency and Creativity in Your Library
- Human-Centered Design: Transforming Library Spaces and Services
- Creative Literacy: Building Blocks for Imagination and Innovation
- ISTE 2024
- Redefining Digital Literacy: Leveraging AI to Enhance Learning
- Cultivating Creative Communicators: Podcasting With Adobe Express
- MakerSpaces as Catalysts for Change: Fostering Student-Led Initiatives
- Creative Expression: Unleashing Student Potential in the Library
- Global Goals, Local Impact: School Libraries Empowering Empathy through the SDGs
- Adobe Express in Action: The Librarian's Toolkit for Empowering Creators
- Collaboration for Sustainability
- AASL 2023
- Eco-Hub: Incorporating the SDGs to Save the Planet One Library at a Time
- Creating a Culture of Creation Literacy in the School Library
- Redefining Literacy: Leveraging AI to Enhance Information Access and Analysis
- Creating Joyful Library Experiences: Engaging Students and Building Community
- Featured Speaker for GaETC 2021
- Empowering Empathetic Citizens of the Future with Augmented and Virtual Reality
- Humanizing Your Library: Inclusive Practices for Library Advocates
- Socially-Responsive Innovators: Encouraging Human-Centered Design in the Library
- Collaborative Leadership: Building Capacity by Leading from the Middle
- Featured Speaker for FETC 2025, Library Leaders Track
Each presentation and conversation I’ve led ties back to my core mission: to help educators and students harness creativity as a pathway to discovering their own remarkable potential.
Leadership in Creativity Advocacy
My leadership in creativity advocacy spans national and international platforms, where I bring educators together to explore how creativity can transform learning environments. From organizing community-driven events to leading mentorship programs, I believe in the power of collaboration to inspire meaningful change.
- President, Georgia Library Media Association: Led the association in the immediate years following the COVID-19 pandemic, spearheading initiatives to connect and support school librarians as they reopened their libraries and navigated a surge of censorship attacks at local and state levels.
- Founder of School Librarian Mentorship Program (Georgia): Established in 2021, this program fosters connections among school librarians across the state, creating a support system to share resources and inspire innovation in libraries.
- EdCamp Organizer: Spearheaded EdCamps across Georgia, focusing on creative practices, student voice, and real-world problem-solving through PBL. These events provide informal learning opportunities for educators to connect and grow.
- Community Building at ISTE and AASL: Over years of presenting and organizing at ISTE and AASL, I’ve worked to build collaborative communities that elevate creativity, SEL, and student voice. For me, conferences aren’t just about presenting—they’re about creating spaces for lasting impact and professional growth.
- #GaLibChat Founder (2016): Established Georgia’s first Twitter chat for school librarians, a creative and innovative approach to bring librarians across the state together, share ideas, and build a professional network in real time.
- Crosswalk Author (2020): Wrote the Crosswalk between Georgia School Library Evaluation Instrument standards, ISTE Standards for Educators, and the Future Ready Librarians Framework, providing librarians with a practical guide to align their practices with key educational standards.
Coaching, Mentoring, and Consulting
In addition to speaking engagements and workshops, I have worked with districts and organizations to tailor coaching cycles with school library professionals and educators on a variety of topics including project-based learning, Adobe Creative Cloud, social and emotional literacy, and establishing SMART goals for school librarians focused around the ISTE, Future Ready Librarians, and/or AASL standards.
