Blue Flowers was founded in honor of Valerie's father Gilbert Eugene Crawford, Sr. who passed after a 12 year courageous battle against prostate cancer. As her father’s primary caregiver, she personally navigated all levels of the healthcare system, advocating on his behalf for the best available care and service delivery.

As an educator for over 15 years, Valerie leads our awareness initiatives and is responsible for marketing and donor engagement. In July 2014, she was selected as a Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Fellow at Oxford University, Oxford, UK. Prior to her career as an educator, Valerie worked in the fashion industry.

Valerie is currently a United States History teacher in the Prince George's County Public Schools system in Maryland. She earned her BS degree in Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. She holds a Masters of Education degree (M.Ed.) from Cambridge College, Cambridge, MA.

She is married to Dr. Jerome Schiele, a university administrator and professor.