Meet the Team
Kym Motley
Founder & President
Kym Motley is an artist and writer with a passion for caregiving and seniors. Gladys Love Project was born out of inspiration from her grandmother, Gladys, to live life fully and her time caregiving for her father during his bout with cancer. Additionally, Kym is the founder of Daily Modern Living. Here, she shares her mindful moments through photography, writing, jewelry, and food, in order to inspire others to experience the joy of everyday life.
Kym is a Charlotte, North Carolina native and a graduate of Davidson College, with a bachelor’s degree in English. In addition to her creative and nonprofit endeavors, she works as an IT consultant, with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, eCommerce, enterprise applications, and iOS & Android app development.
Melissa O’Connell
Founding Board Member, Treasurer
Melissa is an Empowerment and Authenticity Life Coach helping Creative Empaths embrace their unique gifts and create lives they love. She is a fellow Creative Empath who grew up as an artist—drawing, painting, and dancing in southern Oregon.
After graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in Communications, Melissa moved to New York City, where she spent her career working in advertising, marketing, eCommerce, and technology while pursuing her performing arts passions in dance, singing, theater, and commercial acting.
Five years ago, she became a certified Life Coach and her current mission is to help Creative Empaths embrace their unique gifts—as their very own superpowers—so they can create authentic lives they love; fully in alignment with the creativity and empathy they were born to share with the world.
Jeanne Zaptin
Board Member, Secretary
Jeanne Zaptin is honored to join Gladys Love Project, especially having had a grandmother named Gladys whom she loved and respected dearly. During the pandemic, Jeanne supported various Seniors with their grocery shopping and appreciated the relationships she developed while learning which tasty treats they liked. Even though she is not grocery shopping at this time, she still visits one remarkable lady who lives on her own. She also enjoys participating in local volunteer activities—shopping for her town’s food bank, aiding her son’s Parent Teacher Organization, and supporting her favorite farm animal rescue organization.
Jeanne currently resides in New Jersey after growing up in northern Virginia and living in Colorado. She is a Technical Program Manager with over 20 years of experience leading complex enterprise software projects and programs for various industries from Education to Finance. Jeanne is driven by working with great people to accomplish their goals while having fun collaborating. She lovingly spends her free time with her teenage son and all his sports. Jeanne also enjoys learning about nutrition, working out at the gym, trying new restaurants and going to Broadway shows.
Laura Neff
Board Member
Laura Neff comes to Gladys Love Project with over 30 years' experience in human development and business excellence, and she's excited to bring all that and more to amplify the impact of Gladys Love Project!
Although not a native, Laura has lived in Charlotte, NC since 1993 and, since then, her career path has spanned corporate, small business, and entrepreneurial life. These days you can find her almost 20 years into coaching and consulting her heart out via New Atlas Coaching, developing business leaders and leadership teams who fundamentally understand that leadership is, at its essence, a sacred opportunity to care for and support one another and our world while doing good through business.
Laura lives on the outskirts of Charlotte with her husband Robert, two dogs, two cats, and six chickens. She loves gardening, hiking, reading excellent fiction and cooking vibrant, healthy meals. She has had the opportunity to walk with her family through caregiving for her father, mother, brother and sister-in-law before they each passed...another sacred opportunity she wouldn't have missed for anything.
Aura Love
Board Member
Aura Love is a community and spiritually-based Healer. She holds titles of Rekhit (Keeper of Wisdom), the Chief Master Herbalist and Kemetic Reiki Master Teacher of the Ra Sekhi Arts Temple. Aura is also an Alchemist and Wholistic Doula for over ten years and is a heart-centered care provider.
Aura has spent time caregiving and supporting those who need care since a very young age. She is continually learning and relearning the art of balancing work and life, and aspires to become an active senior with a fulfilling life. She learns as much from her students and clients as much as they learn from her.
As an entrepreneur and creative, she offers community-based programs such as: Nature Walks, Herb’N Garden Courses, Sip’N Learn with local senior groups, Community Care Circles, Birthing Education, Wellness Services, Senior Care Visits and a host of community cultural and educational events.
It is with true passion that Aura spreads the consciousness that we are already armed with the right tools to live a life of wellness and to overcome our perceived ailments. She advocates for the rights of individuals and the collective to make informed choices regarding their health and to garner access to resources. As an innovative educator of African, Indigenous and traditional healing arts using energy, healing foods, herbs and preparation techniques, her goal is to empower the ones willing to take responsibility for one’s own health and healing. Aura serves her community with great pride. Aura commits herenergy, time, knowledge, and healing to all in need.
Gloria Singleton
GLP Ambassador, Founding Board Member
Gloria Singleton is a natural-born caregiver, native New Yorker, lover of coffee, and the color purple. Gloria currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she spent the majority of her career in the Healthcare industry.
At Carolinas Medical Center, Gloria performed intake for new patients in the Behavioral Health department. At the YWCA of Central Carolinas, Gloria guided patients through the Women-In-Transition Program and formed alliances with other local nonprofit organizations. Gloria’s passion for caregiving also spans several years as a CNA working with various home health organizations.
Jessica Almonte
GLP Ambassador
Jessica Almonte is a certified life coach focused on self-discovery, helping the highly driven "givers" surrender their "fix it" roles to shift from struggle to harmony for an aligned lifestyle compassionately honoring the authentic self. She is a fellow creative with a passion for dance, music, and expressive writing. Guided by inspiration, she created the Collective Anecdotes blog as a form of self-expression and a place to nurture unique insights through the power of stories.
In addition to her creative pursuits, Jessica worked in Commercial Real Estate Property Management with over 12 years of experience in Operations. During her free time, you can catch her possibly accumulating way too many books, learning about soul contracts, listening to podcasts, writing, or taking salsa classes.
Inspired by the memories of her mother, her desire to serve led her to Gladys Love Project. She was reminded of her mother's tireless giving and the wise lessons of gratitude. The smallest contribution of appreciation to another is the gift of unconditional service to love simply because you exist.