What is one word that describes you perfectly?

I am tenacious.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Do not ever be afraid to ask questions; keep asking until you understand.

Get involved, not only at work but also within the community. Be selective in your involvement. Make sure that the things you pursue serve your personal and/or professional goals.

Know your worth and fight for it.

Commit to grow personally and professionally.

What makes you happy?

Professionally, making a difference in the community that I was raised in. It is very rewarding to be able to bring medical care and specialty services to rural populations who would not normally have local access to these services.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoy spending time with family and friends.

How do you measure success?

I love to learn, and projects become much more rewarding for me when I learn by doing. When I change someone’s life for the better, or am part of community change, it is extremely gratifying to know that I helped to bring those changes to fruition.

What historical event inspires you the most?

Katharine Graham became the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. While she had no experience in this leadership role at the time, Graham was driven to succeed even while being disregarded by her male peers and subordinates. Furthermore, she persevered in releasing the Pentagon Papers to the public, while her peers feared career fallout from litigation by the Nixon administration. It is always worth doing the right thing, even when it isn’t the popular thing.

What is your favorite quote and why?

“My mission in life is not merely to survive but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” Maya Angelou.

I love this quote because this is how I aspire to live my life. I try to approach all that I set out to do with this in mind. I am determined to succeed through passion, with compassion, humor, and style.