Get to know Jefferson’s first nurse and woman serving as Board Chair
Q: In addition to board members’ skills and expertise, they also contribute their most valuable asset – their time, and on a voluntary basis. Considering this, what attracted you in May 2015 to the Jefferson BOT?
I was honored to have a lead role in the merger of Abington Health and Jefferson. During that process, I began to appreciate the post-merger potential for Jefferson Health and for the future of academic health care in the region. At the time, I knew many of the Jefferson trustees, through other work I had done in the city. Ira Brind, Bob Adelson, Dick Williams, Caro Rock, Josephine Mandeville were all people I admired for their integrity and dedication as trustees. When I was invited to join the board, I thought this would be a wonderful next step in my board service and work.
Q: There’s a lot of excitement about the fact that in Jefferson’s nearly 200 year history you are the first nurse and woman to chair our board of trustees. What does that to mean to you and how might you approach your position differently than your predecessors?
It has been a privilege these past years to learn from past chairs. Since joining the board, I have worked closely with Rick Hevner, Steve Crane and Rich Haverstick, as the immediate past chairs, but also Bob Adelson, Bill Landman, Dick Gozon. They all bring their unique gifts and skills to the work of the board. There were many similarities in their approaches and some differences.
Strong chairs are good listeners and have a capacity to bring out the best in management and in trustees. As a nurse, I think my unique gift may be a greater sense of what it means to be on the front lines of clinical care. I expect that this will influence how I lead, ask questions, and make decisions.
Q: What’s your vision for Jefferson? What do you hope your legacy will be?
My vision is that Jefferson continues its legacy of excellence in educating future leaders and in providing the highest level of quality and safety in patient care. Jefferson’s commitment to healthcare access for underserved and marginalized individuals and communities continues to be a focus of the board and management and is something I care about very much. I believe there is more we can and will do to bridge the deep divide in health care and higher education that continues to exist for so many people.
Certainly, I also hope to be an inspiration to young girls and women who are thinking about the impact they can have in the work they do. I am very aware that as the first nurse and woman, my tenure as chair will be observed and probably evaluated differently than prior chairs. I welcome that as a personal challenge -- to listen, learn and bring my best to the role. I want to continue to find ways to assure equity in health care and educational opportunities. While I have had the privilege to do many things professionally and personally, to be at this stage in my life and now chair the board of Jefferson is something I never could have imagined. I hope when people reflect on my term as chair that they will feel I made a difference in ways great and small.
Q: What are the board’s priorities moving forward? How will they build on the past?
The board is committed to build on the work we have done since Dr. Klasko arrived in 2013 and charted a visionary course for Jefferson’s future. The pandemic had a deep impact on our businesses. Across the country, academia and health care were challenged in ways that we never could have imagined.
The leadership of the board and management during this time were truly outstanding. I think coming through this as a team has sharpened our resolve and commitment. Organizations who lean in and adapt when there are tremendous challenges and work collaboratively to meet those challenges are always stronger on the other side. I believe that Jefferson has done just that. We are a stronger organization with a bright future that will build off the success and the lessons of the past.
Q: How will you measure success as the new leader of the board of trustees?
I am focused on assuring we continue our work of inclusion and equity. I am looking forward to working in partnership with our trustees and management as we steward Jefferson towards its 200th anniversary in 2024.
I remind myself often, “I never want to be the smartest person in the room and I never want to be the only person in the room.” I have the honor to serve with a remarkably talented board that represents a broad array of diversity in thought, experience and perspective. I hope to learn from them as we support management and the entire Jefferson community of over 35,000 employees to be the best we can be.
Q: For those unfamiliar with Jefferson, what’s one thing you’d want them to know?
I would want them to know that when a person selects Jefferson, whether for their education or for their health care, that each individual, regardless of their personal circumstances, are welcomed and treated as if they are our highest and only priority.
Q: Stranded on an island, what is your one comfort item? If you are stuck with one book, one hit on your playlist, which book or song would it be?
Ah, this is a tough question because as my life has evolved and circumstances have changed I know the answer would be different.
At this moment in time, for a song it would have to be “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan. Of course, the Whitney Houston version may be one of the best recordings of the song. I know as the first woman chair, people are watching, maybe seeing if I make a mistake, wondering how I will lead and make decisions. There may be some who doubt I have capacity to do the job. So if they are watching, I now have a higher calling to be “every woman.” Who knows, the job I do might just convince some people that every woman is more than capable to do any job.
Q: What advice do you have for an alumna or young woman entering the workforce today?
Never underestimate what you can do and never underestimate your worth. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. I can guarantee that if you do, you will find an untapped inner capacity to do what might have seemed unimaginable.
Q: What qualities do you think are most important in a trustee? How about a Jefferson trustee?
Integrity, authenticity, respect and an appreciation for the importance of rigor and data to inform decisions are critical. And the capacity to bring humanity into how we implement decisions are all qualities that I believe make for outstanding trustees and leaders.
As for the ‘secret sauce” quality in a Jefferson trustee, I think it is how much we care about Jefferson, its mission, values and its people. It is what inspires me and may be unique to our trustee community.
Q: It's easy to see what's challenging about being a woman in the workforce. What are the advantages?
This is a tough question. There is still so much more to do to give women equitable advantages at work. I do believe having women in middle and upper management roles can inspire young women to explore pathways towards their own leadership opportunities. As women participate in setting strategy, in assuring equity in pay and promotions, in creating a culture of appreciation in the workplace, it is bound to have a positive impact on the business as a whole and all employees, both men and women.
Q: At Jefferson, we believe creativity is the key for students to succeed in the future of work. You lead one of the nation's most creative children's museums. What do kids teach you about being a leader?
Our vision at the Please Touch Museum is a world where ALL children are creative, compassionate, confident and curious. All of our exhibits and programs are designed around the essential skills children need to be successful in the classroom and in life. Those skills are critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication. If you think about it, the most successful leaders embody these skills.