Full-time mom: Lance juggles work with family life
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Lance is an administrative assistant for the chief of aeropropulsion systems at the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) in Tullahoma.
“I job share with Myra Kline, and together we administratively support the chief, deputy, and nine personnel in the testing of jet engines for America’s most technically advanced military and commercial aircraft systems,” Lance said.
Although she works part-time at AEDC, her life as a wife, mom, coach and community leader is full-time and more. Lance is best known for organizing the co-ed McMinnville Swim Team in 1996. But she is not alone in her endeavors.
Her 15-year-old daughter, Chelsea, a big part of the reason she founded the team, competed for three years. Her 12-year-old son, Trent, still participates. Lance’s husband, Bo, announces the races at the swim meets.
“It’s what we all do in the summer,” Lance said.
As one of the founders, Lance served as president for the past six years and was responsible for organizing all of the swim meets, developing agendas and schedules, organizing volunteers to work at the swim meets and attending aquatic conference meetings. The team is not affiliated with the school system.
“I had wonderful memories growing up competing in swimming and diving on the Celina, Ohio, swim team,” Lance said. “We didn’t have a swim team in Warren County, and I saw a need for the kids in the community to have a sport to keep them happy and healthy through the summer and decided to help organize the team. We’ve had as many as 70 swimmers ranging from ages 6 to 18.
“This year we had 45,” Lance continued. “We kept our members to a minimum this year because we were at a true disadvantage by not having a swimming pool to practice in or to hold our home meets. However, McMinnville will see a new outdoor facility, and we look forward to utilizing it in 2003.”
The team competes in six meets a year with teams from Sewanee, Fayetteville, Shelbyville, Waynesboro and Lawrenceburg.
By the time swim season ends, soccer is gearing up, and Lance simply makes the transition along with the kids. For five years she and her husband were American Youth Soccer Organization volunteers coaching their children’s teams.
“Now we watch the middle school and high school soccer teams from the sidelines but still coach an indoor winter soccer team where both kids can play on the same team,” she said.
All of these activities would probably overflow most folk’s platter. But Lance still finds time to be active in her church, Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and operate her own cosmetic sales business. So what does she do in her spare time?
“I’m a full-time mom,” she said. “It’s the most important thing I do.”
Editor’s note: Arnold Engineering Development Center is the nation’s largest complex of flight simulation test facilities. The center was dedicated in June 1951 by President Harry Truman. Today, this $7 billion complex has some 58 aerospace test facilities located at Arnold Air Force Base and the center’s remote operating location Hypervelocity Tunnel 9 in White Oak, Md. For more information on AEDC visit the center’s Website at www.arnold.af.mil.