Lezlee decided at a young age that she wanted to be a nurse. She always said she did not want to get her nurse practitioner because she wanted to be a nurse, not a doctor. After losing her husband in the line of duty, Lezlee has decided to return to school to obtain her master’s degree as a nurse practitioner so that she can increase her earning potential and have a schedule that will allow her to be home with her children during the evenings, weekends, and holidays.

After her husband’s death, Tunnel to Towers stepped in to provide her and her family with a mortgage free home. This gesture led her to become a volunteer race director for the Tunnel to Towers Run/Climb Series and she coordinates a 5k in Nelsonville, OH. Lezlee finds that participating in this manner helps the community to honor all fallen first responders and military members while assisting with raising funds for Tunnel to Towers to pay off mortgages for other families of fallen first responders.

Fire Chief Harry Barber says, “Lezlee exemplifies resilience and determination which is reflected by her juggling motherhood, a nursing career, and her aspirations to become a Family Nurse Practitioner.”