President and Chief Executive Officer, Heart of Missouri United Way.

Job description: I’m in charge of all aspects of running the Heart of Missouri United Way. I have a staff of eight that makes all the magic really happen.  

You are brand new to this role. When did this job start, and what was the process that brought you here? I started Monday, March 3. When my husband, Kerrick, and I arrived in Columbia, we immediately signed up to be donors for United Way. I have previous experience with United Way in other cities and know what a great organization it is. Through various connections, I met the previous CEO, Andrew Grabau, who ultimately asked me to be on the Heart of Missouri United Way Board of Directors. I started that role in May 2024. As we were going through the selection process to replace Andrew, our board chair, Mitzi Clayton, asked me if I would consider doing an organizational assessment to help the new CEO (a person that we were still trying to find) get settled in their role. I talked with my husband and some other trusted advisors and decided that if I was going to do the assessment, I would want the chance to implement my findings — so I decided to throw my name in the hat for the CEO position. And now here I am!  

What is your background/experience with HMUW or United Way in general? As I mentioned, I’ve been on the Heart of Missouri United Way Board since May 2024. My experience with United Way goes back to 2016, when I was a part of the Governance Academy for the United Way of Greater Kansas City. I also volunteered with the Capital Area United Way when we lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from 2018 to 2020.  

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri  

Years lived in Columbia: 2010 to 2015 and again since August 2023.  

Your husband, Kerrick, is the head baseball coach at Mizzou. We’re guessing you’re not only a MU Tiger fan  — but you might also lean toward a favorite MLB team. Which one? Being from St. Louis, I definitely lean towards the St. Louis Cardinals; however, at home we often cheer for individual players (irrespective of team) that Kerrick has coached and/or mentored through the years.  

Favorite recent project: My recent projects have been all about getting our house and family settled after going through three relocations in a span of about four and a half years. So painting walls and hanging pictures were my most recent projects.  

A Columbia businessperson or nonprofit leader you admire — and why: Adonica Coleman would be at the top of my list. I’ve known her for a long time, and I’ve loved watching her grow and evolve her business and her brand. She sees needs in the community and then uses her skills, resources, and networking abilities to address those needs. She’s able to do that in both the business sector and the nonprofit space, which I think is remarkable. I tell her that I want to be like her when I grow up!  

Why you are passionate about your job: I love that I get to use the skills that I have developed over my corporate career of twenty-five-plus years to truly help others. Working in corporate America, we have missions and visions, but ultimately the job is about the bottom line and making money. Here I get to help make the community in which I live better, and that’s pretty cool.  

If you weren’t doing this for a living, you would be … Well, I was retired when this position called me, so I guess I would still be retired!  

Tell us something about the local United Way that most people might not fully understand:  I think people believe that United Way simply generates revenues through campaigns and then allocates those funds to nonprofit organizations. And while that is true, the behind-the-scenes processes of vetting and working with those nonprofits is where the magic happens. We work with those organizations to make sure the services they say they are going to deliver with the funds we allocate are really delivered at the end of the day. We also work with those nonprofits to help make them better organizations in general. So while, yes, we are giving funds, there’s really much more to it.     

 One reality of public life right now is that there seems to be so much division between ideologies, political stripes, and even religious beliefs. What are your suggestions for navigating that environment and seeking common ground? The common ground is that we are all human — we get one life and should strive to make it the best life we can. At Heart of Missouri United Way, we unite friends and neighbors to create better lives for those in our community. We focus on improving outcomes in education, health and basic needs, and financial stability, which transcends ideologies, political affiliations, and religious beliefs.

Biggest lesson learned in your working life: My grandmother said you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, and while I don’t consider people to be the equivalent of flies, the essence of that proverb is that you will get further in life treating others well than not. I try to always treat people well, and I think it has paid off in my working and non-working life.  

Your greatest strength: The broad background I’ve had working in various industries and in various roles has made me well-rounded and experienced in areas that will allow me to help support and grow this organization.  

Your greatest challenge or weakness: Coming from the corporate sector, I don’t have fundraising experience on my resume. But I do have two things that will help address that gap. One is a set of fundamental skills, such as relationship building, negotiating, and communication, that is key to fundraising. The second is a great staff and board that will be able to make connections and help support our fundraising efforts.  

What you do for fun: I’m the wife of a collegiate baseball coach and the mom of two baseball-playing boys. Fun is baseball in my world!  

Who makes up your family: My husband, Kerrick, and I have two boys.  Zion is 13 and an eighth grader at Gentry Middle School. Laz is 12 and a sixth grader at Gentry. They both play baseball for the Warriors Baseball Club. We also have two 6-year-old chocolate Labs named Satchel and Gibson.  

Most people don’t know that you … This is a tough one because I’m a pretty open book. But I can say that when I was younger, I wanted to be Miss America … even though I never competed in any pageants!