Rylee is married to Mackey and is a proud mom to their two children, Guy, 11, and Louise, 9. Their family also includes two loveable Goldendoodles, Alice and Sonny. She is a lifelong Shermanite and K-12 Bearcat, minus a decade in her 20's that she spent time Fort Worth and Detroit, MI.
Q: What activities do you like to do outside of volunteering?
A: I am an avid reader and amateur cook with a newly acquired mahjong habit. I also have a minor addiction to vintage and antique furniture. When the elementary PE coach says your child was talking about your new bamboo tete-a-tête during warm-ups, you may have a problem. But I like to think of it as an environmentally proactive hobby with a bonus hit of dopamine. Call me before you get rid of your grandmother’s stuff.
Q: How long have you been involved with the Sherman Education Foundation?
A: Oh gosh, I don’t even know how old I am. By extension, decades. As a trustee, a handful of years??
Q: How did you first learn about The Sherman Education Foundation?
A: My mother is a sustaining, long-time trustee and has been the emcee for Circle of Success for many, many years. When we moved back to Sherman in 2016 with a one-year-old, I came back to Circle and never left.
Q: What do you think SEF's biggest impact is?
A: This is a twofold answer for me. Its biggest impact for me personally is hearing the success stories at the end of each year. Circle of Success really solidifies the reach, value and importance of community support for public education, and reinvigorates my “why”. And as a whole, SEF provides a significant monetary support for programs our schools simply could not otherwise provide. It’s a unique opportunity that not every district is able to offer.
Q: Any funny SEF stories that come to mind?
A: Anyone remember that time my mother showed up to my camp-themed event in a Girl Scout sash and combat boots? And then had an honoree play a surprise drum solo without telling me, she who hates surprises? And I’m not sure I’m ready to laugh yet, but maybe the time I said I could handle all the florals myself and took two carts full of flowers through a parking lot right as it started pouring, dropped a bucket destroying several dozen, sliced my finger open and still had to hit up two more places to get enough? Honestly, I wish someone had witnessed the disaster of it all.
Thank you so much for everything you do for our foundation, Rylee!
