Consultant - Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division

What unique qualities do you believe sets you apart as a leader and woman of influence?
I believe that my education as a nurse and mental health professional influenced how I lead. I learned to listen without judging and to make sure I was competent in the arena I was working and always follow through on any commitment I made.

Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that shaped your path?
I was fired only once in my professional career and it made me realize that the values I brought to that position were not shared by my boss and that he would never have hired me and I would never have gone to work for him. It was great learning about how values influence choices and outcomes. The second was part of a cultural transformation effort I lead at the Behavioral Health Division. Through many sessions, I came to realized that who I was, was not my job. That realization allowed me a huge amount of freedom to initiate programs that were beneficial to the people we served and not just be politically correct.

How do you define leadership, and how do you embody those qualities in your own life?
To me leadership is not a single trait. It is a combination of competence, passion, commitment and caring for those with whom you work and serve.

How do you pay it forward and support the next generation of leaders?
I pay it forward by serving on numerous not for profit boards where I coach young board members and help organizations enhance their efficiency and effectiveness, to better fulfill their mission. In addition, I have mentored individual women who have gone on to grow in their own leadership skills. Recently someone I mentored and worked with who was promoted told me she could never have done the job she loved if she hadn't learned from me. A heartwarming tribute.

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