Larry McLemore

La Junta, CO 81050
Email: larry@peoplemechanix.com

Larry A. McLemore was born in rural western Kansas. As a youth, Larry was typical of farm country, mostly poor and dreaming of a better day. Always curious and a good student, Larry was a product of his environment and went to work. Trained in Collision Repair and Refinishing, Larry became a master of his craft and an entrepreneur over the next 25 years, ultimately being asked to teach young people at a technical school. After transitioning into teaching, Larry sought to learn the education business. Always a curious dreamer, Larry began asking questions about the mechanics of education, how it worked, and how it was built. This began his journey into accreditation, organizational design, and social construction. Through his inquiry into these structures, Larry learned about Appreciative Inquiry and Social Constructionism, met leaders, and was inspired. After many Taos Institute courses and conversations, Larry decided to become an educational leader. At age 42, Larry began college and completed a master’s degree in Career and Technical Education. This achievement allowed Larry to move from teaching to administration. Much of Larry’s master’s degree work utilized Appreciative Inquiry, and this social constructionist theory became a springboard for the years to follow.

Holding Dean and Vice President of Education roles in Kansas, Colorado, and California, Larry enjoyed many opportunities to apply Social Constructionist skills to advance workforce education in the urban and rural communities he served. Specializing in workforce education, economic development, and organizational leadership, Larry enjoys helping communities build sustainable futures through the power of conversation. Larry’s perspectives as a master craftsman, a master of complex mechanical systems, and an educator have been instrumental in his transition into Social Constructionist Theory and Appreciative Inquiry, which Larry employs as tools in building workforce education solutions for sustainable communities. Larry plans to continue adding life to life with his skills, hoping to give these relational social constructionist ideas a generative voice.