Martha Spurlock

Martha Spurlock is an accomplished educator, editor, writer, consultant, and tutor whose career has spanned publishing, technology, and education. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Louisville and a master’s degree in English from Spalding University, Martha began her professional journey as an editorial assistant at Presbyterian Publishing House before moving into editing and consulting. She spent approximately five years as an editor, including positions with Ziff Davis, and later worked with Keene Incorporated in Boston, where she was recognized as Consultant of the Year. Her career also included technical publishing, freelance writing for technology journals, and consulting on a software remediation program for a major Louisville-based company, where she was the only woman on the team. These experiences allowed her to blend her strengths in literature, writing, communication, and technology.

Martha eventually found her greatest calling in education. She has operated her tutoring practice for 31 years, helping students excel in English, humanities, classical literature, Latin, and standardized testing, with some students achieving perfect SAT scores and going on to highly successful careers of their own. She has also taught in the classroom and continues to substitute teach, sharing her passion for literature and the classical tradition with new generations of students. One of her most meaningful accomplishments was co-creating Ulysses: The 20th Century Retelling, a published novel developed with her seventh- and eighth-grade students as a World War II-era retelling of Homer’s Odyssey. Her dedication to teaching earned her recognition as a Commended Teacher for the Kentucky Governor Scholars Program, while her students’ achievements remain among the most rewarding results of her work. Martha believes teaching is a great calling and an opportunity to reveal not only the beauty of literature, but also the lessons it offers about life.

Throughout her career, Martha has been guided by faith, hard work, perseverance, and the Golden Rule. She attributes her success to being willing to take chances, embrace unexpected opportunities, and learn new skills along the way. Her experiences across publishing, consulting, technology, and education have reinforced her belief that leadership is ultimately about teaching, mentoring, and helping others discover their own voices and abilities. She encourages the next generation of women to be willing to take risks, pursue opportunities beyond traditional expectations, and lift others as they advance. For Martha, a meaningful career is not simply about professional accomplishments—it is about giving one’s best, serving others, finding work that brings purpose, and continuing to learn and share knowledge throughout a lifetime.