Joellen Cook opened Ellen Rose, LLC in 2006. She has more than 30 years experience as an educator, principal investigator and grant director with a broad background in federal grant design and evaluation. She has an elementary and advanced secondary certification in counseling with a Masters Degree from Winthrop University and an undergraduate degree from Charleston Southern University (formerly Baptist College at Charleston).
Joellen has a rich background in K- college education as a counselor and administrator, and also has been an intake specialist with the American Red Cross. A college marketing director and admissions counselor in her early career, Joellen has worked and with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as an Interviewer and Investigator for their Section 8 Housing Program. She has a background in emergency and crisis intervention, is a K-Flash/P-Flash Certified Instructor, has worked as a consultant and grant reviewer for the National Council of Community and Educational Partnerships, and facilitates workshops on conflict management, career planning, parenting, marriage enrichment and much more. Joellen has regularly mentored Safe Schools Healthy Students Directors across the country. She has managed multi-million dollar projects funded by the US Department of Justice, the US Department of Education and the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Active in fundraising and volunteering, Joellen has been involved with a variety of community and faith based organizations. She has regularly collaborated with the US Department of Education in the areas of safe schools healthy students, school counseling, mental health and drug free schools and has been a reviewer for many proposals submitted to these organizations.
Joellen is a seasoned storyteller. Her book - Sardines, Cheese and Soda Crackers: Reflections From a Country Girl - highlights the delights and challenges of growing up as a Southern girl. She tells these 63 true stories to students and adults alike as she teaches life lessons. Joellen is currently writing a second book - My Wish for you Today - which is due to be published in late summer 2009.
A free style pianist, Joellen is also a member of SASS - a group of cowgirls and cowboys who reenact frontier life of 1850/1900s through scenarios of wilderness living. She manages a website for “Possum Trot” - a frontier town near Winfield, Tennessee - and writes a blog for The State newspaper in Columbia, SC called “Living With a Country Girl.” Her website - www.reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com - features reflections of inspiration and encouragement.
One of Joellen’s pet projects is to make useful items from recycled materials. Wine bottle lamps, blue jean pocketbooks and mens tie pocketbooks are just a few of the things she not only enjoys making but teaches others how to make. Each is individually hand crafted with the recipient in mind so that it will not only be a one of a kind item but, often, one with a personal story. ” It’s one thing to give a gift, it’s quite another to pass along how to make it. ” Joellen says. When Joellen sells her handmade items, part of the proceeds go to “Sharing God’s Love” - a charitable, religiously based organization dedicated to helping families in transition.