What was the "aha" moment that got you started in your current career/line of work?
The reason I wanted to come to United Way Capital Area is that I realized the three areas that United Way were investing in are the roots of anti-poverty work. I think poverty is the worst violence there is, and I'm a big believer in prevention and funding prevention services, not just crisis services. The "aha" for me was realizing that if you combine the power of prevention services with the connections and relationships that United Way has with corporations, public entities and employees, we are in a unique position to create meaningful impact in our community. If we can help focus attention on the issues, we can begin to attack the root causes of poverty. I see this work not being about how people are poor, but how we bring a community together so we can all feel like we're thriving and being able to live in a community that supports all our aspirations. I have a big belief that this work can make a difference.
Who do you think was the greatest leader? Why?
Nelson Mandela because he was able to incorporate his morals and values into his behavior and he led from a place of his heart.
What is the most rewarding thing about working in public/social service?
It's absolutely about the people. I have this deep and abiding respect for people's ability to survive and thrive under incredible challenges.
What is the most significant issue you would like to be able to solve?
I truly want families to be financially stable. I want our children to be able to access healthcare. I want our children to start school ready to learn, so they can have an opportunity for the American dream. I want our seniors to be able to live out their lives without having to worry about if their pet is hungry or if they are hunger and having a safe roof over their heads. Those are the issues I want to solve.
What is the one thing you want to tell the Austin community about your organization.
From a philanthropic standpoint, we are poised to work with employees and all companies to ensure their employees understand critical issues in the community, enjoy being philanthropists, volunteer for the common good. On the other hand, I think we have a unique ability to identify and invest in critical needs in the community that no one agency can solve on our own. We're able to identify and prioritize those issues and drive investments of contributions, volunteer hours and advocacy toward community goals.
Do you want to "Keep Austin Weird"? Why?
The Austin community is really unique in that you have a blend of cultures, of people who think differently from each other, who have differently experiences and everyone is so accepting. It really is about the combination of smarts, creativity and individuality in our community and honoring people for who they are is a integral part of the anti-poverty work we do. To me, it's not so much that Austin is weird; it's that Austin has a heart and people really care about eachother no matter how different they are.
How long have you lived in Austin? What brought you here?
I live on a 45-acre farm in Bastrop and what brought me here was my children. I wanted the four of them to experience nature, see the stars and be around animals and bugs. I wanted their school experience to be extremely diverse. I didn't want them to only be around children that looked and acted like them, I wanted a diverse, rich culture for them. Bastrop allowed us to experience both the simplicity of the country and the diverse nature of Austin.
