Home: New York City. Birthplace: New York City. Profession: Nonprofit leader; recovering lawyer. Title: Executive Director.
Current project: Finding meaningful nonprofit board opportunities for those who want to be real agents of change. Recent recognition: BoardAssist, the nonprofit I founded, has now brought over $175 million into the nonprofit community through the placements we have effected. Latest contribution to others: I get great joy out of counseling others on how to find a meaningful nonprofit board opportunity. Hobbies: When not at work, I “live” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I sit on a board committee. There is always something new to see and learn there. There are many weeks when I go to The Met every night!
Personality profile: Optimistic. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Motivating. How do you define an ideal business relationship? Mutually supportive. What is your greatest joy? Helping people find ways to serve and give back.
What’s the best advice you received growing up? Don’t ever go to your boss with a problem without having a potential solution as well. What’s the best advice you received in your career? The smartest people in the room listen the most and talk the least. What’s the best advice you have for others? Start your day counting your blessings – there are always more there than you think. Gratitude is a great practice. What do you love about your current job? Counseling and motivating people into nonprofit board service. Apart from your family, what are you proudest of? When people share that the path to service I put them on changed their lives and is now ultimately the most satisfying and meaningful part of their life.
What is your big idea?
In 2000, I had the dream of starting BoardAssist – the nonprofit I now run which has brought over $175M into the nonprofit world. My thought: if I could connect high impact New Yorkers with the perfect nonprofit board service opportunities - tailored to their greatest strengths and strongest passions - I could dramatically grow the amount of intellectual capital being invested to change the world.
What message do you want to send out into the world? You can be the change you want to see in the world. Don’t wait one more day – join a nonprofit board and start being part of the solution to whatever challenge speaks most greatly to you. What widely held belief do you reject? One person can’t make a difference.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Mission Possible. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A Supreme Court Justice. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? With my family. What advice would you give your younger self? Believe in the best in others. What do you want people to say about you after you’re gone? Cynthia motivated and encouraged me to be my best self.
Personal mission: I’m on a mission to make sure that every New Yorker who wants to help others through board service finds an opportunity to do just that. Personal motto: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Favorite quote: “A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies but once” (William Shakespeare). Desired epitaph: She saw and believed in the best in all of us.
