Page 21 - Education Issue

Women of Distinction

When I asked Bettie ily on Memoirs and have said that from space, the strumental in the launch of
what motivates the tenor of some amazing titles. The earth looks like a small blue their “All-Women’s Build”
her writing she said, “It's the Maybelline Story and the marble laying on a piece in Coachella Valley. Bettie
mindset that it’s our honor, Spirited Family Behind It, of black velvet, so fragile. shares, “The publicity and
as much as it is our obliga- for example, spans some 70 And to think that so many excitement of this event
tion, to help others see their years, is a period piece, so people are at war or causing inspired us to take it a step
lives in the most positive is too unwieldy for a feature harm to others, it's unimag- further, and the following
light possible. I would want film but would work as a inable. Especially with the year we held the "First Ladies
that to reign.” television mini-series. We've birth of my grandchild, I am Build" which included all
Her book success lead to just done an Appalachia REenergized more than ever living president's wives from
Hampton Roads Publishing Trail adventure by writer by the notion that we must First Lady Hillary Clinton to
creating an imprint in her Rosalynn Carter. In addi-
name. However, in time, tion, we had a full house of
Bettie wanted to have more Governor's wives, from Ken-
control over the message. tucky’s first lady Libby Jones
“I’d met so many interesting to Oklahoma’s first lady
people doing important and Cathy Keating—along with
purpose-filled things, and many other women in in-
wanted to champion their fluential positions; the effort
work, especially capture that grew to be an official Habitat
belief in the indomitability for Humanity program, and
of the human spirit. So I now in practice around the
created my own publishing world. Since then women
company (Bettie Youngs volunteers have constructed
Book Publishing Co.) to thousands of homes around
bring readers a line of books the world."
about fascinating people As Habitat for Humanity
and their remarkable jour- grew, so did their objectives.
neys, narratives of powerful “Millard Fuller believed that
and insightful experiences the most effective solutions
that allowed them to create come when communities
new paths and to live more create locally-led projects.
fully, creatively, and abun- He saw Habitat as a grass-
dantly. Moreover, I wanted roots movement (at the time
to produce them in the for- we’d grown Habitat to a 70+
mats people wish to access; country presence) while the
be it print, ebook, audible corporate sponsors saw its
or film. In today’s times, we Photo By Martin Mann Photography mass appeal for gaining ex-
can literally reach readers Jane Congdon, "How the each do all we can to care posure for their brands and
most anywhere in the world. Wild Effect Turned me into for one another—and this pushed for a more top-down
With the click of a button, a Hiker at 69"—that's been little blue “marble” we call management-focused orga-
we can translate content not riding the wave as #1 on au- Mother Earth." nization. Hence, the Fuller’s
only into the reader's native dible and ebook in a couple One of the most notable started The Fuller Center for
language, but in the read- of categories on Amazon. events in Bettie’s life was Housing International which
er’s format of choice, be it We're in film right discus- when Millard and Linda today has 70+ covenant
Large Print, Braille, DAISY, sion on that now.” Fuller, founders of Habitat partners across the United
or interactive formats that Well traveled, Bettie has for Humanity, invited her States and Canada, and with
readers can manipulate been around the world twice to a think-tank group called 20 international partners in
themselves to navigate and has always had that ad- the Renaissance Weekend. foreign countries. There are
between text and audio. venturous spirit, which was Her friendship with the some 12+ foreign country
And we can upload them part of the reason that this Fullers led to them invit- builds going on as we speak.”
most anywhere around the Iowa girl ended up in San ing her to Nepal since they Bettie served on their Board
world via Espresso Book Diego. “It's a small world, were building homes there. of Directors for a number
Machine®. It's a fascinating really. However, I'm still She accepted the invitation of years. She then found-
technology. dazzled by it, and perplexed, and has since built homes ed The Fuller Center for
"At Bettie Youngs too, of course. My friend literally around the world Housing, San Diego in 2008
Books, we focus primar- and astronaut Steve Smith with them. Bettie was in- and within months they had

21