HI! I'M PAM.
ABOUT ME
I came to Lawrence, Kansas from Cape Cod Massachusetts in August 1983 to attend the University of Kansas. I finished with a liberal arts degree in 1987 and married my husband, John McDermott, in 1989. From 1990 to 1999, we had 5 children, and today we enjoy having 7 grandchildren and the 2 on the way, living here in Lawrence.
Early in our marriage, John and I worked briefly and part-time at O’Connell Youth Ranch, a local group home for boys, as relief parents. Through that adventure, we took home a 14 year old teenager who lived with us through high school. We also gained a heart for children and teenagers in foster care. We have been active foster parents since 2018.
In 1992, with a handful of other people, we started Morning Star Church. It has been an unbelievable journey for 32 years to be able to be connected in meaningful ways with people from all over the world and every kind of background as our church has grown. Unity with diversity is possible…and beautiful.
I worked from home for many years while I raised and educated my children. I will always be grateful for the flexibility and freedom I had to volunteer, participate in many areas of the community, have people in our home, lead various projects, and grow and develop while raising a large, busy family. Along the way, I was also a substitute teacher and volunteer at (the now closed) Kennedy Elementary School, a Leadership Lawrence participant, and our church’s liaison for areas of civic engagement.
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Since 2013 I have worked in a full time capacity at Morning Star Church. As part of a team, I help direct our involvement in the community in a number of capacities to serve people and help them discover God’s heart for them and purpose for their lives. We know that strong, healthy families are the foundation of a thriving society. To that end, we work with young people and all individuals to grow by taking responsibility for their lives and choices and to build strong foundations of faith in God that will endure through every challenge.
Lastly, I spent many years in Douglas County unaware of anything happening in City or County government, probably because I presumed the best and was busy with day to day life, like many people that I talk to now. I regret that I was so naive and didn’t understand the importance of paying attention to elected officials who have the power to take our money and spend it wastefully or ignore our concerns about things as basic as safety and freedoms or who believe accessing the “wisdom” of our federal government and the endless subsidies for bad ideas rather than local citizens is the way forward.
I’m more than aware now. I ran for office in 2020, and I am running again.