I was born in Memphis in 1959 and grew up on Forrest Avenue next to Trinity Methodist Church in the Evergreen neighborhood. When I look back on my childhood, I realize how lucky I was. We lived in a two-story, American foursquare house with four bedrooms and one bathroom. My parents bought that house when they moved to Memphis in 1955, and it was the only house we ever had.

I have three older brothers. Two of them are significantly older, and the next one is five years older, so we didn't play much together, but there were a lot of kids in the neighborhood — best friends next door, best friends right behind us — and everybody's mother was everybody's mother. We all played outside together — kick the can, talent shows, four square — and we all walked to Snowden School together.

My brothers were musicians, and there was always music in the house. Folk music was very popular, so my brothers played dulcimers and guitars, and people came over to listen. My parents and brothers read to me at night — even after I was old enough to read on my own.

My father, Jameson, was dean at Rhodes College, so all the way through high school, many of my best friends were the children of Rhodes faculty members. He walked to work every day. He later became president of the Memphis College of Art and finished his career there.

Daddy was the sweetest man. He loved teaching, which to him meant not so much lecturing and throwing out information, but truly connecting with a person and getting them to understand, respond, and carry the knowledge forward. He also loved people and was always glad to have company over.

My mother, Dorothy, was a housewife, but she tutored at the elementary school and worked in the food pantry at Evergreen Presbyterian Church. Church was important to her. The warmth of our home was largely because of her. My friends always told me that our house was the house they liked to come to. Mother made a cake every Saturday morning, and she liked having people in the house.

Our family traveled every year during Daddy's summer break. We camped, rented cabins, traveled cross-country, visited national parks. And we were lucky to go to Europe a few times — England, France. I still love to travel.

I went to Central High School. Even at that point, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in life. I guess I assumed, without really thinking about it, that I would teach.

I never considered going anywhere else but Rhodes College. My father had already moved to the Memphis College of Art, so I felt the road was clear for me to go. I absolutely loved it — loved going to class, loved my professors, loved living in the dorm with all my girlfriends.

I majored in American studies, which — in hindsight — fits my personality. I sort of rebel against any subject that is too narrow or too focused, and American studies gave me the chance to study the art, literature, history, architecture, and culture of a big country. At that point, I planned to get a master's degree and a Ph.D. and teach at the college level.

I received my master's in American studies at the University of Texas in Austin in 1983. The first year in Austin was hard because I had never been away from Memphis, and I missed my friends, family, and the closeness I felt there. After a year, I fell in love with Austin and wanted to stay, but after getting my master's, I realized I didn't want to teach and that I'd better figure out what to do with myself. I moved back to Memphis.

Mike Cody and Charlie Newman, attorneys at Burch, Porter & Johnson, took pity on me and hired me as a paralegal. I was too young to recognize at the time that they were just trying to help me out and give me something to do. They didn't really need me!

In 1984, Memphis Heritage Inc. was realigning its personnel, and I had taken some courses in architecture, which interested me. People in Memphis at that time were beginning to recognize the importance of preservation, and I wanted to be a part of that. I started working at Memphis Heritage part time, and by 1985, I had become its executive director. I was 25 years old.

But what really set me on the fundraising path was when I joined Robert F. Sharpe and Co. in 1988. Robert is a nationally recognized expert in planned giving and fundraising. I learned so much about successful fundraising there. I also realized that I wanted to work with and focus on just one nonprofit as opposed to working for several nonprofit clients at one time, as I did at Sharpe.

My next stop was Rhodes College, where I worked as director of alumni and in the communications department. After eight years at Rhodes, I felt it was time for another change, and I became the director of development for Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in 2003. While there, I learned how a small team could accomplish big things.

There were two reasons I decided to come to MIFA as its vice president of development in 2007. One was that when I met the executive director, Margaret Craddock, I immediately knew I wanted the opportunity to work with her.

The other was that my mother had died two years before, and my father had moved into assisted living. It was a gift and a joy to help take care of my father — I was the only child living in Memphis — but I also experienced firsthand what a stressful and confusing duty it can be. I saw how critically important MIFA and its programs are to seniors and their caregivers. I wanted to be a part of growing that organization and its important work.

When Margaret announced her retirement in 2010, I thought a long time before I applied for her position. I knew it was a big job and that MIFA is a treasure in Memphis that would be entrusted to me to steward it. Also, there was the responsibility of continuing to serve as many people despite the challenges of funding. MIFA has such a tradition of good, solid, strong leaders — could I fill those shoes?

I decided to try. I became executive director of MIFA in February 2011, and so far, it has exceeded all my expectations. It is an honor to be entrusted to lead an organization like MIFA that is such a beloved institution in our city. In turn, MIFA is blessed with a skilled staff, strong board of directors, and faithful volunteers and donors who remain dedicated to serving some of our city's most vulnerable populations. My goal is to ensure MIFA continues to be here for another generation, responding to community needs.

The purpose of MIFA … The Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association is a broad-based, professional, social services nonprofit with nine programs that support the independence of vulnerable seniors and families in crisis. It operates on a $9.5 million annual budget and was founded in 1968 after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, as an advocacy organization to address poverty and racial division.

MIFA is unique in the nation because … It's unique in its founding — how and why it came to be — and it's unique in that it's interfaith. Our vision is to unite the community in service, and one thing that all faiths have in common is the desire to serve others. We provide that opportunity regardless of faith.

Being an executive director means … looking at the entire picture in its total. My degree in American studies was good preparation for this job because it covered such a large area with so many diverse pieces that it required taking a very broad view to capture it all.

The MIFA program nearest to my heart … MIFA runs nine programs. It's hard to pick just one because each one is so vital — and I like them all! At a recent board meeting, a volunteer from our Senior Companions program came. Senior Companions is one of our smaller programs, where we pair low-income but active seniors with seniors who need assistance. The active senior reads, shops, writes letters — whatever the other senior needs. The volunteer blew us all away and said exactly what we hear from all our volunteers. She told us how blessed she was to have this opportunity to serve through MIFA <> how this MIFA program has benefited <>. She was totally transformed because of this opportunity.

My work ethic … There's a motto that former Rhodes College President Dr. Charles Diehl often repeated: "The good is ever the enemy of the best." In other words, don't settle for just the good. Be the best. That motto guides me in both my professional and personal lives.

My career was first aided by … There were professors and administrators at Rhodes who saw something in me that I had not seen in myself. They encouraged me to branch out and try things, to step into leadership roles, which I wouldn't have done on my own. I was shy and a little introverted, but they pushed me, and I became more assertive and confident.

When I was named MIFA's executive director … It was an icy day — snowing! — and the retiring director, Margaret Craddock, looked at me and said, "Well, here's your first decision as executive director: Is MIFA delivering meals tomorrow or not?" We still laugh about that. But I can call Margaret for advice anytime.

One of my initial challenges … was — and still is — financial. Looking at the trends for government funding and foundation funding, we realized there were some core moves we had to make to ensure that MIFA remains sustainable and responsive to crises.

Currently, we're working on … creating community partnerships and collaborations that will improve and grow MIFA's mission. We're really focused on ways we can do more — provide more. How can we deepen our impact in the community?

When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, I was … in my third-grade class at Snowden Elementary. I do remember that my father went to march after the assassination, and I felt both proud of him and very afraid for him. In our attic, we had the "I Am a Man" sign he carried.

The traits I got from my father … are a love of learning, the ability to enjoy life, and the willingness to be open to people.

MIFA's first program … was MIFA Transit, which took seniors to medical appointments. When it was first created, MIFA borrowed church vans every day. Now, we have a fleet of MIFA vans.

My first goal when becoming executive director in 2011 … MIFA relies a good part on government funding, which is getting smaller and smaller. Because of that, we knew we had to rethink how MIFA would operate in the future. We developed a strategic plan, and it was a wonderful thing for the leadership group and board to do together. It gave us a chance to make sure we all shared the same vision, the same mission, and the same end goals.

People might be surprised to learn that … When we got the VISTA volunteer contract in 1974, the majority of the volunteers were housewives, not the typical young college graduates. These young, educated women started a lot of MIFA's programs. They wrote all the neighborhood histories for the Neighborhood Center; Meals on Wheels started with them; Mid-South Food Bank — which is now its own entity — was created by them; and The Mid-South Senior newspaper — now The Best Times — was started by them. So in some ways, the story of MIFA involves a lot of women and their work.

MIFA's volunteers … number more than 2,000 annually. MIFA couldn't exist without them.

The biggest lesson I learned about the nonprofit sector … came during my first experience with it at Memphis Heritage. I learned the importance of being a good steward of other people's money. We did everything by the rules, and we were serious about being fiscally responsible for the donations we received. I learned how critical it is to be prudent with a nonprofit's money.

A difficult aspect of fundraising … is that too often, fundraisers focus on crises. The better course is to cultivate long-term relationships and involve donors in solutions. You've got to keep people looking at the good work that the organization does <> the time and not just when something people care about is being threatened.

A big "aha" moment ... During my graduate studies in Austin, people I met there would go on and on about Texas and how great Texas was. At first, I thought, "That is so boastful! People aren't supposed to brag and talk that way all that time." Then I realized we <> ought to be talking that way about our hometowns. We all ought to have that sense of pride. It charged me up. We need to feel that way about Memphis, too, instead of apologizing for our shortcomings.

One of my favorite quotes … "The more I learn, the less I know."

The secret to being a successful fundraiser … Fundraising is a chance to help people support something that is important to them. I don't see it as persuading people to do something they don't want to do; it's helping people do something they <> want to do. You want people to give where they feel <> are making a difference and where it speaks to their heart. I love meeting all the people and seeing if I can help them do that.

As director of alumni at Rhodes, I learned … the power of a team. Everyone worked together so well — and we had fun doing it — and I saw how a team can do so much more than one person.

The most controversial thing I've done in this position … The biggest change was transferring our transitional housing program to another agency. We did our best to communicate why we were doing it, and that although we wouldn't own the bricks and mortar, we would be turning over the operations to an agency experienced with it. Ultimately, the move would allow us to reallocate resources to assist more families.

My mentor at the Brooks Museum … was its director, Kaywin Feldman. I credit her with showing me what a good executive director does. She had a rare combination of warmth, smarts, humor, and ability to move things forward.

The first time MIFA came on my radar … was in college. Rhodes has the Kinney Program, which is the clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities for students.

The big preservation fight when I was at Memphis Heritage … was the MATA bus barns, where the old streetcars and trolleys were parked. U.T. had bought the property and was going to tear the barns down and build dorms — which is what ultimately happened. But trying to preserve the barns was our big fight.

The public's biggest misperception about MIFA ... I think people don't realize the breadth of our programs. They know us for Meals on Wheels and from the thrift store that closed, but not the whole umbrella of what MIFA provides.

My favorite part of what I do … is the variety in this job. One day we're figuring out how to deliver meals to more homebound seniors, and then the next day we're working on the annual fund campaign, and then the focus shifts to MIFA's incredible volunteer workforce and new opportunities there. I also love that the job brings together both analytical research skills and people skills.

Most people don't know that I … am a calligrapher. My father and his two brothers all painted, and I have some of their watercolors hanging in my office. My three brothers are musicians. But I didn't inherit any of that. Calligraphy was all I got artistically!

My mother taught me … the importance of loyalty and steady, quiet commitment — and love. Putting others before yourself.

My hobbies in high school … I was always interested in sports, and I played basketball and tennis.

A favorite childhood memory … My mother and I would go to Zayre discount store and look through sewing-pattern catalogs, deciding what to sew next. They had bolts and bolts of fabric. She was a wonderful seamstress and cook. She sewed everything: my clothes, the curtains. She taught me to sew, and we'd make all kinds of things. I stopped sewing after high school, and I'm kind of sorry that I didn't keep with it.

My family … I met my husband, Brad, on a blind date while I was working at Rhodes, and we married in 2000. He's a supply-chain logistics consultant. We have three kids: Nina, a standard poodle, and our two cats, Jack and Scout.

People might be surprised to learn that I … ran my first marathon at age 53, which was last year, in Little Rock. I went out of town to try it — just in case! Now I'm ready to do the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis.

When I'm not being executive director of MIFA, I like to ... train for marathons, travel, and read.

My final 2 cents ... For Memphis to reach its full potential, we have to address poverty. For people to escape poverty, it starts with meeting the basic needs of food and shelter, because without those, it's hard to think about anything else.