CHIEF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER NEW YORK MPA GRADUATION YEAR 1998 YEAR JOINED WEIL 2007 HOMETOWN WEBSTER AND CLAYTON, NY What did you want to be as a child? First woman president or wedding dress designer. I was under the mistaken impression that by the time I was old enough to be U.S. president (2009), we’d already have had a woman in the White House. What was your first job? Cardboard box factory worker and server during the early morning breakfast shift at a motel diner. If your young self could see you now, what do you think her reaction would be? I’m not sure my high school self would have believed I’d go to an Ivy League grad school; work on Wall Street (literally, although at a nonprofit); and that I’d have an office view of Central Park. Advice to my high school self: I wish I could tell my junior year of high school self to dry my eyes and turn off the Smiths, because you don’t have to listen to your father who is insisting that your only college options are West Point or engineering school. The more you calmly make your case of how you’ll be able to support yourself despite your “save the world” tendencies, the more likely he’ll support your dreams. Not to mention that your seemingly odd interest of “equal employment opportunity” will turn out to be a growing field by the time you enter the workforce. At the same time, appreciate that your conservative dad believes his daughter would thrive in these male-dominated environments and keep listening to his advice about being well-rounded and learning practical skills, because that will serve you well. What were some of your insecurities or fears when you were starting out that you wish you could go back in time and tell your younger self not to worry so much about? I wish I could tell her that my walk-fast, talk-fast, cares-too-much-about-the-fate- of-the-world self that seemed so out of place in my upstate New York school and family would find a place to not just fit in, but thrive. Please describe a mistake or failure and how it ultimately helped you learn and grow? At the ripe old age of 23, I was given the responsibility to manage a research study for Catalyst that would receive tremendous media attention. With only one other team member, I would work many late nights and weekends and consume a large bottle of Tums through this project due to the stress. Part of the stress was not feeling heard about warnings I expressed about the need for fact checking and potential pushback on some of the new analysis. The study was featured on the cover of Businessweek with an error, and a conservative women’s group would publish a critical Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal. I thought my career was over before it started. However, because I had spoken up earlier (and documented my efforts), I was given another chance where I was better set up for success. Ultimately, I’d be promoted twice at Catalyst and publish over 10 studies. Also, I’d like to reassure myself that over the next 20 years I would not have to consume another Tums to deal with stress again, because I learned to cultivate mentors, trust my gut and speak up until someone listens. I learned to cultivate mentors, trust my gut and speak up until someone listens. “ ” WEIL WOMEN’S WISDOM · 35 34 · WEIL WOMEN’S WISDOM
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