Shari Howard McMinn

Curriculum Vitae

8.15.18

Personal

      Marriage  

  • to Cary Neal McMinn, 12.1.86 – his death 6.2.2013; 11 children; 1 step, 5 biological, and 5 adopted from child welfare/foster care; current age range 14 – 37-years-old

Membership   

  • INCH Homeschool and 4H Club, Aurora, CO; 1995 – 2001
  • Morgan County Homeschool Network (MCHN) Support Group, Fort Morgan, CO; 2001 – present
  • Sandburs 4H club, Morgan County, CO; 2002 – present
  • Reformation OPC, Elizabeth, CO; 2010 – 2018
  • Berean Church, Fort Morgan, CO; 2018 – present

Leadership

  • Support Group Co-Leader, INCH Homeschool and 4H Club, Aurora, CO; 1998 – 2001
  • Support Group Leader, MCHN Homeschool Support Group, Fort Morgan, CO; 2008 – present
  • Support Group Leader, FAMILIES BY GRACE, Adoption/Foster/Kinship Support Group, Fort Morgan, CO; 2013 – present

 

Education

1981, graduate, Colorado Institute of Art, Associate of Arts Interior Design; Denver, Colorado

1976, graduate, Southeast High School; Wichita, Kansas

 

Employment

1979 – 1981, Designworks; Denver, Colorado; apprentice designer, office assistant (full-time)

1982 – 1985, Victor Huff & Associates; Aurora, Colorado; junior interior designer (full-time)

1985 – 1986, AIRCOA; Aurora, Colorado; senior interior designer (full-time)

1986 – 2001, ATELIER HOWARD & McMINN; Denver, Colorado; Owner, Manager, Designer (part-time)

2001 – Present, BLESSED CREEK FARM; Owner, Office Manager (part-time)

2013 – Present, sharimcminn.com; Owner, Operator (part-time)

2014 – Present, CHEC.org; Advertising manager, Editor (part-time)

 

Professional Work Experience

1981 – 2001; Commercial Interior Designer: Country Club and Public Golf Course Clubhouses, High-End Residential, Hotels, Restaurants

2001 – Present; Sustainably Raised Livestock for Direct-to-Consumer meat sales

2013 – Present; Communications: Advertising Manager, Author, Blogger, Editor, Speaker

 

Life Experience

Family and Consumer Science

  • Child Development: raised 11 children, 5 with special needs trauma labels
  • Home Economics: cleaning, clothing care, gardening, family economy logistics, farm construction, home remodeling, resource allocation and stewardship, sewing production of clothing and home furnishings, time management of large family home-based business
  • Home Education: Homeschooled 9 children through high school; coached, prepared, taught students for the following careers: AA Graphic Design MBA Marketing, BS Industrial Design Agriculture-based food, graphic design, and writing enterprise AA Acting for Film BS Culinary Management, Minor Food and Beverage US Marines, small arms tactical leader, T operator, Lance Corporal Early Childhood Education US Navy Strategic Intelligence
  • Foods and Nutrition: Planned and prepared 3 meals + 1 snack/day x 320 days/year x 30 years x 6 persons average = 230,400 plates of food (on modest income, mostly cooking ‘from scratch’)

Communications

  • Computer skills include: internet, keyboarding, power point, spreadsheet, word
  • Management skills include: working with team of colleagues utilizing asana, email, google docs, kami, zoom; scheduling and tracking project status; working with paid staff and volunteers on large-scale projects as both lead and subordinate
  • Writing skills include: blogging; editing (content, grammar, typos) for books, newsletters, print magazines, and web articles; writing and editing of non-fiction books

Community Servant (approx. 8 hours/week since 1995 = 9568 hours)  

  • Advocate: for Adoption and Homeschooling at local, county, regional, state levels; stable families and safe communities
  • Volunteer: county/state 4H, local church, local homeschool group, local adoption group

Work Product (2013 – present)

Blogs

Books

As Author

  • STRETCHED YET UNBROKEN; a Family Knit Together Continues Their Legacy of Faith; 2015, Generations.org
  • ADOPTION: Encouragement and Advice for a Hopeful Journey; 2017, Generations.org
  • MAKE A MEAL + SHARE A MEAL; Large Batch Cooking for Family Meals + Enough Leftovers to Share with Those in Need (target release 11.2018)
  • DEATH: Where is Thy Sting? Facing Our Inevitable Mortality; (target release 11.2019)

As Managing Editor

  • The Homeschool GUIDEBOOK for Colorado: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Education in Colorado; 2017, CHEC.org
  • US & Colorado Civics: A K-12 Civics & History Curriculum for Home Educating Families; 2018, CHEC.org
  • ONE WITH EVERYTHING: Anatomy of a Hot Dog Stand and Other Great Family Businesses You Can Start; 2017, Generations.org
  • ONE WITH EVERYTHING: A Business Course Study Guide; 2018, Generations.org

Other Publications

  • Editor, The Homeschool Update magazine; 3x/year; 5,500-6,500 postal subscribers; CHEC.org, since 2016
  • Writer, MORGAN COUNTY HOMESCHOOL NETWORK, monthly newsletter to 25 subscribers, since 2008

Public Speaking (2015 to Present)

  • Annual (3x/year) Homeschool Introductory Seminars: Nuts & Bolts of Homeschooling
  • Annual June Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference workshops, 1 – 3 on average
  • Multiple Author Presentations with Book Signings annually at churches, public libraries
  • Various Symposiums annually regarding Adoption, Early Childhood, Homeschooling, Raising Traumatized Children

 

Awards

1981, Art Institute of Colorado, John Jellico Award – Top Graduate of entire school (class of 400+)

2007, Colorado 4H, State Volunteer of the Year (along with late husband, Cary)

2010, Morgan Conservation District, Small Landowner of the Year for BLESSED CREEK FARM

2018, Fort Morgan Times, Angels Among Us, Recipient