Lily began her school career as a lunch lady and then a kindergarten aide.  Encouraged by other teachers in her school to go to college and become a teacher herself, she worked her way through college on student loans, scholarships and working as a starving folk singer.  She graduated magna cum laude in elementary education and later earned a master’s degree in instructional technology, teaching at Orchard Elementary in West Valley City, Utah and later at the one-room public school located in the Salt Lake Homeless Shelter. 

Lily led the Utah Education Association as president for six years.  She was the 1989 Utah Teacher of the Year.  She won her party’s nomination for U.S. Congress in 1998.  She was president of the Utah Retirement System and organized the Children at Risk Foundation, serving as its president for six years. 

Lily authored a humor column on parenting that ran in 22 local newspapers.  Her advice for parents has been published in Time, Working Mother and Parenting magazines.  She’s defended public education on Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes” and CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight.”  She has been the invited keynote speaker for hundreds of education events in virtually every state and was highlighted by Education World in their “Best Conference Speakers” edition. 

Lily has been honored with the leadership award of the Utah Council of Teachers of English, been named the PTA Friend of Children and the Communicator of the Year from the Association of Business Communicators,.  She received The Charles Bennett Human & Civil Rights Award for her work with at-risk children and was named by Hispanic Business as one of their Outstanding Women of the Year.