WEBVTT 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:05.040 um, what do you think the skills that you have has helped you in your 00:00:07.110 --> 00:00:12.906 nonprofit career pursuing the leadership positions that you have? Well, I 00:00:12.939 --> 00:00:18.767 have to say, um, as you heard, I have a degree in journalism. And really 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:24.026 my, my thoughts were never to, even my thoughts have never been while 00:00:24.059 --> 00:00:27.366 someday I want to be a ceo of a nonprofit. That was really never even in 00:00:27.399 --> 00:00:31.006 my scope of thinking. But 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:34.586 the first job that I interviewed, um, as if after I graduated from the 00:00:34.619 --> 00:00:40.016 issue was actually I, I interviewed with a for profit and a nonprofit and 00:00:40.049 --> 00:00:44.836 for profit, you know, I'm a new college grad and and I interviewed for 00:00:44.869 --> 00:00:48.046 this non power, this for profit. That was actually, you know, it was, it 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:54.946 was, it was a good job, It was pretty good pay a good company in the 00:00:54.979 --> 00:00:58.686 valley. And, and when they offered it to me, you know, I had to think 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:03.126 about it and I pondered it for the weekend, just didn't feel right. For 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:06.206 some reason, I'm like, okay, I'm crazy. I just graduated from college. I 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:11.156 can't, you know, it can't be that picky. And then in the meantime, during 00:01:11.189 --> 00:01:16.117 that thought process interview for nonprofit, it was longer hours, so way 00:01:16.150 --> 00:01:22.486 less pay, you know, uh, just everything opposite of of this job that I had 00:01:22.519 --> 00:01:26.956 interviewed first and I ended up just, I felt it though, I felt that It 00:01:26.989 --> 00:01:30.447 was the right decision for me. So I took this, this job in this non profit 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:34.727 and I think the skills when you work in a non profit, you may be hired for 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:39.846 one thing, but you have the opportunity to do everything, everything. 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:47.879 And I say opportunity. But now I manage a staff of 50 and I tell them that 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:53.286 too, I said learn everything you can hear. We may have hired you as uh, 00:01:53.319 --> 00:01:58.117 you know, a special events coordinator or a development person, but you 00:01:58.150 --> 00:02:02.156 can, you know, take opportunity to take advantage of everything and learn 00:02:02.189 --> 00:02:07.887 everything that you can looking at an advisory board versus a governing 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:13.047 board. And what's the difference there? So an advisory board is a board 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:16.816 that doesn't have to do share responsibility. And sometimes it's because 00:02:16.849 --> 00:02:22.717 you're connected to a national uh, type of, uh, of not for profit. Uh, and 00:02:22.750 --> 00:02:25.957 sometimes because, you know, there may be different chapters, you know, 00:02:25.990 --> 00:02:30.767 within a certain geography or area. Right? So for us, uh, we try to have a 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:34.967 lot of input, especially from the various geography. So we have a bunch of 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:38.797 bored for Tucson, for Vegas for new Mexico. Why? Because we want to get 00:02:38.830 --> 00:02:43.186 that local input and so they do everything that a normal board would do 00:02:43.219 --> 00:02:46.066 with the exception is that, that they don't have a fiduciary 00:02:46.099 --> 00:02:49.427 responsibility. Not that they don't look at the budget. Not that they 00:02:49.460 --> 00:02:53.656 don't look at the financials of that particular program or that area, but 00:02:53.689 --> 00:02:58.027 they don't have the authority to encumber the organization to put us at 00:02:58.060 --> 00:03:02.147 risk or two, basically approve any kind of debt on behalf of the 00:03:02.180 --> 00:03:05.247 organization for us. That's the only difference. Now, that's, that's our 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:09.617 structure. That's the way that we like to manage our boards because we 00:03:09.650 --> 00:03:13.337 like our boards to have a safe, we want a divorce to be engaged. We wanted 00:03:13.370 --> 00:03:17.126 to feel that they have authority uh, in giving us direction. That's why 00:03:17.159 --> 00:03:20.747 again, I don't care whether it's an advisory board or a fiduciary board. I 00:03:20.780 --> 00:03:24.967 still consider them to be my bombs. Right? And so I have several 100 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:30.626 bosses right at this point. Uh, and so that, to me is really the only 00:03:30.659 --> 00:03:34.967 difference, right? Because they are as committed. You know, they come to 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:38.566 meetings, they offer directions, they're out there, you know, establishing 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:42.596 relationships on our behalf and talking about the good work that we do. 00:03:42.629 --> 00:03:47.087 And so we try to manage them the same way. Whether they have that 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:52.606 responsibility or not. Thank you. Do you think joining a board, becoming a 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:58.446 board member is a good next step for introduction to the nonprofit sector. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:01.946 For those who might be coming from the corporate sector. So should they 00:04:01.979 --> 00:04:07.106 kind of try on the, the organization by joining a board? Um, well, I 00:04:07.139 --> 00:04:11.277 definitely encourage, um, I always encourage people to sit on a board and 00:04:11.310 --> 00:04:15.737 become active in something that they're passionate about. But I also want 00:04:15.770 --> 00:04:22.897 to definitely say that joining a board takes work. It takes work and it 00:04:22.930 --> 00:04:27.027 takes experience and, you know, we have a young professionals board, which 00:04:27.060 --> 00:04:33.346 is a great first step that, you know, they do everything that a board does. 00:04:33.379 --> 00:04:36.947 They support the agency. They, you know, they fundraise for the agency, 00:04:36.980 --> 00:04:41.957 but they don't have any voting power on issues, but it's a great first 00:04:41.990 --> 00:04:44.777 step to get to know that agencies to get to know the responsibilities 00:04:44.810 --> 00:04:48.827 because I think where I see board members maybe fail and I've been on 00:04:48.860 --> 00:04:53.496 several boards is, you know, someone, someone asked me to be on a board 00:04:53.529 --> 00:04:56.567 and I of course, you know, want to want to help, but it wasn't something I 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:00.317 had a true passion for, so I didn't feel like I gave 100%. It really made 00:05:00.350 --> 00:05:03.827 me feel horrible and guilty and you know, all those things because you 00:05:03.860 --> 00:05:07.397 want to give back and you want to be helpful, be a successful board member 00:05:07.430 --> 00:05:11.746 , but unless you have a true passion for, for that organization, that 00:05:11.779 --> 00:05:15.426 mission, I just don't think it's gonna be a good fit. I just don't think 00:05:15.459 --> 00:05:18.906 that you're gonna be a really successful board member and you know, so 00:05:18.939 --> 00:05:22.627 don't ever do I see even when companies, they want to have board members 00:05:22.660 --> 00:05:27.286 that represent our agency or represent their company on our board and, you 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:30.187 know, I want to ask them, but is this is this something that you're truly 00:05:30.220 --> 00:05:32.496 passionate about or is it something you feel like you have to do because 00:05:32.529 --> 00:05:37.467 your company is, is making you do it because we really are, it's just not 00:05:37.500 --> 00:05:41.627 successful either way around. So I definitely encourage being on a board 00:05:41.660 --> 00:05:46.306 and supporting a board, but also do take board training because being a 00:05:46.339 --> 00:05:50.246 member of a successful board, it does take work, it does take work. I 00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:53.587 don't even think half the board members realize that they have a fiduciary 00:05:53.620 --> 00:05:58.656 responsibility and, you know, if the agency struggles that way and then 00:05:58.689 --> 00:06:02.377 they're held responsible. So there's a lot of responsibilities also to 00:06:02.410 --> 00:06:08.077 being on a board. So okay, Nora, your insight into board membership, what 00:06:08.110 --> 00:06:12.546 that looks like, right? Because most of my experience, um, prior to this 00:06:12.579 --> 00:06:18.926 was in board service and board leadership and um, it's, I mean, it's again 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:23.596 , I would agree with laura, it's a great way to be engaged with a 00:06:23.629 --> 00:06:28.286 particular issue. I don't think it's probably a great way if you're 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:31.937 interested in working in the sector to get a good understanding of what 00:06:31.970 --> 00:06:36.587 it's like to be under the covers. I would say, I look back on my board 00:06:36.620 --> 00:06:41.087 service and now that I'm a ceo of a nonprofit, I go, I just have such a 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:43.546 better job, 00:06:43.579 --> 00:06:46.897 you know, and I'm still on a couple of boards and I've gone to the Eads 00:06:46.930 --> 00:06:53.137 and said, I'm so sorry, I will be a much better, but I get it. So, you 00:06:53.170 --> 00:06:56.577 know, I don't think that's necessarily going to give you a good view if 00:06:56.610 --> 00:07:01.176 you want a career in non profit. Um, it definitely helps you in terms of 00:07:01.209 --> 00:07:05.467 engaging in the community. I think board service and board leadership are 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:10.236 a great way to develop your business skills. You know, I was the chair of 00:07:10.269 --> 00:07:16.036 a big board at the age of 26 which just sounds ridiculous. I know, but uh 00:07:16.069 --> 00:07:21.806 I learned so much, you know, we let go of the executive director, hired a 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:26.377 new E. D. We went through financing and a move at the facility. And I mean 00:07:26.410 --> 00:07:30.937 think of the skills and the experience I got as a business person in a 00:07:30.970 --> 00:07:34.897 leadership role on a board of directors. So you will build your leadership 00:07:34.930 --> 00:07:40.296 roles tremendously. Uh if you become very engaged and very active on a 00:07:40.329 --> 00:07:45.036 board which believe me, they will let you do. Uh So you know, that is 00:07:45.069 --> 00:07:48.416 where I think the benefit is for you, whether whatever sector you're going 00:07:48.449 --> 00:07:51.106 into is it will build your leadership skills. I don't think it will 00:07:51.139 --> 00:07:55.106 necessarily give you a good view of what it's like to work in nonprofit. 00:07:55.139 --> 00:07:59.877 Those that are out here, whether they be recent graduates or they're 00:07:59.910 --> 00:08:04.007 looking for a new opportunity. How do you think they could kick start 00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:08.707 their career into the nonprofit sector? 00:08:08.740 --> 00:08:14.627 Well, nothing impresses me more is when I get calls from uh current 00:08:14.660 --> 00:08:19.246 graduates or even folks that are looking into transitioning into the 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:23.577 nonprofit sector just to meet for coffee. I mean reach out there and talk 00:08:23.610 --> 00:08:28.197 to people and learn about the nonprofit sector and learn. I've had a few 00:08:28.230 --> 00:08:33.417 people in the last couple of months, even one person in particular was in 00:08:33.450 --> 00:08:37.197 the corporate world and and really wanted to make a transition. So they 00:08:37.230 --> 00:08:40.807 really, they wanted to meet with me just to talk about it and to learn as 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:45.736 much as you can. And I've also hired people down the road where they, you 00:08:45.769 --> 00:08:49.096 know, took the initiative to call me and talk to me right after they 00:08:49.129 --> 00:08:54.317 graduate. And so this is this is my, you know, my my chosen path. And how 00:08:54.350 --> 00:08:57.866 do you think I best go about it? And, you know, talk about interviewing 00:08:57.899 --> 00:09:04.480 and and the best way to to find the right fit?