Q. How did you get involved with Supporting KIDDS?
A. After completing my MBA, I wanted to begin to spend time giving back to the community. A former colleague from AstraZeneca was serving on the board and invited me to the annual event, the Party on the Patio. I really enjoyed meeting the volunteers, staff and fellow board members and was drawn to the mission of KIDDS.
Q. What impressed you about the organization?
A. Every person involved in this organization is deeply committed to our mission. Through our staff and many volunteers, KIDDS truly is able to help children imagine and build brighter futures. This is a powerful and moving vision that brings everyone associated with KIDDS together.
Q. What do you hope to accomplish as board president?
A. First, I want to make sure that we are able to reach out to touch the children who need us in our region, regardless of their situation. That may mean sometimes traveling with our services to the areas of greatest need, in addition to always having the KIDDS home in Hockessin available for families who can reach us there. Second, I want to make sure that every counselor, parent and child-advocate in our region knows that help is out there if and when it is needed. Ultimately, I want to ensure no child ever has to grieve alone.
Q. What do you foresee being the biggest challenge Supporting KIDDS will encounter in the near future and how do you expect to overcome it?
A. Our greatest challenge is to find ways to increase our services while carefully balancing our finances so that our organization stays healthy and viable while, at the same time, reaching out into areas like downtown Wilmington and Dover.
Q. Where do you see Supporting KIDDS in five years?
A. First, I see a much brighter future for the many families who have been helped by KIDDS between now and then. I see children who are able to move forward with their lives, understanding that they are not alone in their grief and they can look forward to happier times. I also see KIDDS continuing its unique and nationally-recognized grief programs, hopefully extending into a broader geography and partnering effectively with other local groups who have a passion for helping children succeed in life.
Q. What is one key to being an effective leader?
A. Helping your employees understand their unique talents and then helping them channel those talents for the organization’s success. We all want to make a difference at work, whether it is with an organization such as KIDDS or working at a company like AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, delivering medicines that improve peoples’ lives. Great leaders ensure all employees work to a shared collective vision but then allow each person the individuality and space to help shape the journey in their own way.
Q. What is the best advice you’ve given?
A. Be yourself. We all want to be around people who are authentic, sincere and honest. I think it’s important to allow others to see you as you are, and to be able to laugh at your own mistakes and adventures.
