Joan Criswell

Joan Criswell is a traveler with the ability to embrace change, remain flexible and create a vision for positive outcomes.

Joan’s passion is to inspire others to seek good health and happiness while sharing abundance in all areas of life.   Activities supporting issues related to Spiritual Development,  Peace & Justice, Human Rights, Animal Rights, Education and the Environment have consistently been a priority.

Joan’s special interests include: Music – Jazz, Classical, Opera and just about everything else, Art, Theatre, Reading, Movies, Gardening, Walking, lite-Hiking, Camping and Travel. Although not a purist, she is a vegan – at least 70% raw.

At a Glance ~ Experience

Small Business Owner, Entrepreneurial Ventures, School of Hard Knocks
Executive Director, Alternatives for Women, Central Kentucky Women’s Center
Independent Agent at Massachusetts Mutual ~ the Lexington Agency.
Director, Services for Children with Serious Emotional Problems, Kentucky Department of Education
Founding Director, Fayette School (now the Martin Luther King Academy), Fayette County Schools, Lexington, KY
Education Consultant/Director, Kentucky Department of Education
Co-Director, Blue Star Riding Camp for Girls
First Teacher of Gifted/Talented Children in Kentucky Public Schools, Fort Knox Schools
Early Brush with Corporate America, TV Guide: Door-to-Door Subscriptions Sales
First Venture into Sales, Marketing & Charitable Giving, Jim & Joan’s Cool, Clear Water

At a Glance ~ Education

MA and Education Specialist, Process Consultation; Education Administration, Peabody College at Vanderbilt University
BA, Elementary Education, University of Kentucky
Last graduation class, Cynthiana High School, Kentucky
Drama, Dance & Lots and Lots of Great Music, The Little Red School House

If You Really Want to Know ~

Duncan Products, owner
June 1997 – Present
Global internet marketing and consultation.

Post Graduate Studies, School of Hard Knocks
August 1986 – June 1997
A variety of entrepreneurial ventures kept Joan busy and involved in valuable learning experiences.

Executive Director, Alternatives for Woman, Central KY Women’s Center
January 1981 – November 1983
Fundraising and program development for a community-based Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention Program.

Independent Agent, Massachusetts Mutual, the Lexington Agency
January 1979 – November 1981
Specializing in business and group health insurance.

Director, Services for Children with Serious Emotional Problems, Kentucky Department of Education
June 1979 – November 1980
Special appointment to coordinate an intra-agency approach to program development for special needs children and their families.  Involved in the development of the first public school programs for children with autism.

Founding Director, Fayette School (now the Martin Luther King Academy), Fayette County Schools, Lexington, KY
August 1976 – June 1978
A special school program for adolescents who had been institutionalized due to emotional and behavioral problems. Our social workers, psychologist, media consultant and teachers worked with students on camera in our TV studio. Students could call up videos on demand in their classrooms. Many of these students had been out of school for years and were non-readers. This was among the first programs to use computers and video media in public schools.

Education Consultant/Director, Kentucky Department of Education
August 1969 – June 1976
The angels smiled and put Joan in the hands of one of the nationally recognized pioneers in education of exceptional children, Dr. Stella A. Edwards. Joan was Dr. Edwards’ shadow – speech writer, grant writer and event planner. Learning experiences showed up in rapid fire. Joan worked with US legislative aides on the drafting of the Education of the Handicapped Act and Regulations to Eliminate Archetectual Barriers to the Handicapped. Later, Joan got more involved in program development and evaluation eventually working more directly with local teachers and administrators as they implemented and improved programs for children with special needs.

Co-Director,  Blue Star Riding Camp for Girls
June 1969 – July 1969
Responsible for planning, coordinating non-riding activities for 30 girls ages 7-18 for 10 weeks. The girls maintained 47 show horses and competed in 7 horse shows throughout the summer.

First Teacher of Gifted/Talented Children in Kentucky Public Schools, Fort Knox Schools
August 1966 – May 1969
Joan lived in bachelor officer’s quarters on Boullion Blvd behind the PX during very troubled times for military personnel.  Joan was fortunate enough to be mentored by a dynamic principal and a creative education director.  Van Voorhis was the model elementary school on post.  It was her good fortune to work with amazing and wonderful 9-10 year old children who filled her heart with joy.

Early Brush with Corporate America, TV Guide: Door-to-Door Subscriptions Sales
February 1953 – August 1953
In 1953, at the age of 8-9, Joan mailed in a form from a children’s publication and received a marketing kit for sharing information about this new guide for TV viewing. Dressed for success, sales kit in hand Joan eagerly approached neighbors, family & friends.  Her mother was appalled and quickly stole her dreams of financial independence.   Joan got a one time payout of 5cents per subscription ~ no residual income! It would be many years and a variety of experiences before Joan learned the value of residual income in the world of work.

First Venture into Sales, Marketing & Charitable Giving, Jim & Joan’s Cool, Clear Water
July 1950 – July 1950
With her best friend, Jim, on a hot summer day at the age of 6, Joan  loaded her Red Ryder wagon with jugs of cool, clear water and Dixie cups, hauled them uphill to a grateful crowd of buyers at a neighborhood estate auction. They shared a vision that one day individual servings of ‘the original’ functional beverage would become a thriving business.  They donated our proceeds to the neighborhood drive to support Polio research.

Education Background ~

MA,EdS, Peabody College for Teachers, Vanderbilt University
May 1974
Education Administration, Process Consultation with Emphasis in Education/Services for Children with Emotional Problems.

BA, Elementary Education, University of Kentucky
May 1966

Last Graduation Class, Cynthiana High School, KY
May 1962
There were so few students left for the final years in high school.  Everyone was involved in multiple activities.  Joan was  in the band and also a Majorette when the band marched.  There were no sports for the girls.  Joan learned to square dance and play Bridge during PE class.

Drama, Dance & Lots and Lots of Great Music, The Little Red School House
May 1950
Dressed and poised as though she had just stepped out of Little House on the Prairie, Miss Sarah rang the school bell as she stood between her garage and historic home directly across the street from Joan’s house.  Miss Sarah had converted the garage into a one room red school house (K-2), complete with shutters, flower boxes, a steeple with a bell.  Miss Sarah became the first of many wonderful, generous, creative and dynamic people in Joan’s life.  She is forever grateful that Miss Sarah gave her confidence to believe in herself.  Joan learned how to relate to adults safely and was beginning to discover how to access trustworthy teachers, mentors and surrogate family among adults.  Miss Sarah inspired and allowed her to discover a new world.