LEAP Staff Profiles

Lesley Fore, Client Relations Manager

What brought you to LEAP?

I first learned about LEAP in 2010 when Mayor Dave Norris posted on his Facebook page that Charlottesville had been chosen as one of just 10 pilot cities in the US for the Department of Energy's Home Energy Score program and that it would be administered by LEAP. Very soon thereafter, I ran across the job posting and applied. Luckily enough, here I am. 

What is the most frequent question you're asked by LEAP program participants? 

"What do I need to do to receive my cash rebates?" LEAP offers up to $1250 in rebates for home energy improvements. There is a process for this which includes using LEAP Certified Contractors, so I talk with homeowners about the steps they need to take. The financial incentives at the front end of the process -- not just the cost savings they enjoy later -- are clearly important to our clients. 

What do you do when you're not helping LEAP contractors and homeowners? 

I am a mother two, with one in middle school and one in high school. That pretty much sums up a lot of where my outside-of-work time goes. However, I do also have two canine children who run with me whenever we get a chance. I'm toying with the idea of maybe running another marathon again one day, but that's low on the agenda. I also occasionally help friends with interior design jobs just to keep my head in the game as I was an interior designer for about six years. 

What's you favorite part about living in Central Virginia? 

I'm a native. I grew up on a farm in a very rural part of Virginia outside of Lynchburg. The house was built in the 1790s, and it is my favorite place on Earth. My kids and I go there every chance we get. I've been in Charlottesville for about 13 years, and I have zero plans for ever moving any place else.