It was Christmas Eve, and Ginger Eads was busy moving her family’s Christmas tree from inside their Flower Mound home to the driveway outside. She decorated it from top to bottom with eye-catching ornaments, garland, and lights. She also surrounded it with carefully packaged presents and set out several tables for the entire family to sit and enjoy.
Clearly, it was a different set-up from what they were used to. But COVID-19 be darned, they weren’t skipping Christmas.
“It’s definitely a mom thing,” she said with a laugh. “I ran extension cords; I had outdoor heaters. It was an entire living room set-up in the driveway. Andy’s parents — who live right down the street — sat 10 feet away from the rest of us, but we still had Christmas. And, really, that’s the way we approached all the holidays and gatherings.”
She added, “I was very big on not skipping things because of COVID. But we would be careful and do things differently.”
There is plenty of leadership to go around in the Eads household. Her husband, Andy Eads, has served as Denton County Judge since 2018 and spends his days trying to make the best decisions possible for his family and the entire county — especially during the undoubtedly tumultuous and heartbreaking year that was 2020. But there’s no denying the glue that binds every family in Denton County together is mom, and Ginger Eads continues to be yet another shining example.
First and foremost, she’s a devoted wife, and mother to three amazing children in Everett (21), Addison (19), and Caroline (14). Everett and Addison are both at Texas Tech, while Caroline is an eighth-grader at Downing Middle School. She’s also a small-business owner who has had her own boutique CPA firm in Flower Mound since 1997.
And she juggles all of that with a tireless dedication to serving her community. Eads is currently the Board Chair for Medical City Lewisville and recently finished up her role as president of the Rotary Club of Cross Timbers, which she helped form in 2015. It was under her Rotarian leadership that the club built a house for Habitat for Humanity. Many of her accounting clients are non-profits and local businesses that need help with their tax filings. During the pandemic, they called on her to help with everything from mass unemployment claims to applying for PPP loans.
For all of that and so much more, she was named Citizen of the Year by the Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce.
“I was humbled because I feel like everyone gave in 2020. I can think of so many other people [who were just as deserving],” Eads said. “To be recognized, especially during a year that was hard for everyone, is touching and humbling.”
From a very young age, Eads knew she wanted to get married, have children, and still be a successful businesswoman and community leader. And her confidence in juggling all of that came from watching the strong women who came before her. Eads’ mother was a teacher and constantly on the go. One grandmother was in the healthcare field and worked in county government, and the other owned a grocery store in her small town.
That’s why it never bothered Eads when her schedule got a little wonky. Kids’ sporting events, school schedules, work commitments, and countless volunteer efforts all made it onto her schedule. Eads has learned many tricks over the years to make everything work, and one of them is to think outside the box when it comes to work hours. She’s a notorious night owl, getting many of her larger projects completed while most people sleep.
“It’s crazy; I know,” she said with a laugh. “But it has always allowed me to be there for them. I can just take off in the middle of the day to be with our daughter if I want to, then finish my work at night.”
She added, “From a practical standpoint, my day is very scheduled. But it never occurred to me not to work. I always wanted to work full-time and still make it to all of the kids’ things and take them wherever they needed to be. The kids were never in daycare; we just did different Mother’s Day Out programs. I worked out of the house with my CPA firm until 2011 and then moved to Parker Square once Caroline started kindergarten.”
Ginger Eads may be compared to Superwoman by anyone who has met and worked closely with her. Still, she and her family weren’t immune to the devastating effects of the coronavirus. Andy contracted the virus in mid-October after it was determined through Denton County Public Health’s voluntary contact tracing that he had been exposed to someone who had the virus. Because those protocols were in place, he was notified quickly without unknowingly exposing anyone else. Their two sons contracted the virus while away at college, forcing Everett to miss Thanksgiving.
“My symptoms weren’t as bad as Andy’s, but I was sick, too,” Ginger said. “We both tried our best to be resilient, but it hit us extremely hard. Looking back on it, it was a horrible experience. But the bond we formed as a family was special. My heart goes out to the Denton County families who are not as fortunate.”
No matter how difficult things get in our world, Ginger said she is grateful for her family and blessed to have them by her side as Mother’s Day quickly approaches. In the meantime, her message to everyone is to be kind and always look for ways to serve others — whether it be a local non-profit, your favorite business, or a neighbor in need.
“It is so important not just to live, work, and play in a community but also to really plug in and find a way to serve,” Eads said. “It just helps all of us have a better place to live.”
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