Lydotta M. Taylor, Ed.D.

Photo by Andrew Sealy.

By Arianna Whitehair

“We have the opportunity to be a voice of inspiration to someone every day. The more we do to encourage others to believe in themselves, the more fulfilled our lives will be,” says Lydotta Taylor, president and founder of The EdVenture Group—a nonprofit organization driving change in education environments throughout West Virginia, Appalachia and the nation.

Taylor has always had a heart for helping others. Growing up in Masontown, WV, a small town located in Preston County with roughly 500 citizens, she credits her father, Don McClure, businessman and entrepreneur, with inspiring her to follow a career path in education.

“He provided daily encouragement that instilled in me a can-do attitude,” she says. “His guidance and constant support created a mindset for a young girl from Preston County to pursue her dreams and passions.”

A true mountaineer, Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary math education, a Master of Arts in secondary math education and a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction from West Virginia University (WVU).

Beginning her professional career the day after her college graduation, Taylor entered the classroom for the first time as a substitute high school math teacher. She went on to teach full time at the secondary level teaching math and computer programming courses.

“I have always felt driven to teach and help others,” she says. “I learned the value of lifelong learning early in my career and still emulate it today in both my personal and professional life.”

Passionate about promoting and advancing education, Taylor has traveled around the nation sharing technology applications for integration into educational curriculum. In 1995, Taylor joined the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation as the vice president of education and workforce to help build technology growth opportunities for K-12 education.

In 2001, she launched The EdVenture Group with a vision to expand innovative programs for educators and students across the state and region. “We have a dynamic team that creates opportunities to empower schools, communities, students and families to build a more diverse, equitable and just future for our youth,” she says.

Taylor believes the key to being a successful leader is all about embracing a growth mindset, remaining humble and operating with kindness. In 2010, Taylor founded L-evation, a woman-owned business that expands education opportunities to develop individuals, businesses and organizations.

Taylor credits her accomplishments to support and guidance from many mentors, outstanding coworkers and partners. Leading with sincere passion for helping and teaching others, she is always looking for ways to give back to the community. In 2018, she chaired a successful United Way campaign for Monongalia and Preston counties during a challenging economic period. Dedicated to building relationships, she made personal visits to every agency that the campaign supported.

Taylor has also served on boards of several nonprofit organizations during her career, including WVU visiting committees and the WVU Cancer Institute. She is a certified life success consultant and coach, co-author of “Transforming 21st Century Learning Environments,” 2018 recipient of the Jasper N. Deahl Award at the WVU College of Education and Human Services and 2019 recipient of Leadership West Virginia’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Though she wears many hats and bears many impressive titles, Taylor is a teacher, mother and wife before anything else. She credits her husband and children as being the main source of support in her life, and her passion for teaching and love of state is evident in everything she does.

“The dedicated educators across the state are key to our success in West Virginia. From the West Virginia Department of Education to county school systems, school leaders and classroom teachers, we have outstanding support to provide our youth with the best future possible,” she says.