Leadership Evolution
In the last episode of this limited edition series, Rachel Harrison shares her personal leadership journey and the lessons she has learned along the way. She also gives insight into her experience hosting the Leadership Evolution podcast and how it has shaped her own leadership style. Craig Bedard, Deputy Associate Commissioner for the Office of Strategy, Learning, and Workforce Development at the Social Security Administration, joins the show to interview Rachel and discuss the themes of service and self-awareness that emerged from previous episodes. Hear how the COVID-19 pandemic...
info_outline 40: Good Leaders Are Good Servants with Bryan HissongLeadership Evolution
The public library has played a major role in Bryan Hissong’s life for almost 20 years now. He started out doing story times and puppet shows at various daycares, and he continued to grow in his career within the library over the years. Eventually, Bryan stepped into his current role as the Community Engagement Manager for the Frederick County Public Library. This new position was created for him to develop vibrant and quality programming that would be engaging for adults of all ages within the community. Bryan always wanted to work in a service-based industry, and he believes that...
info_outline 39: Leading with Gratitude with Becki DelauterLeadership Evolution
Not all of us will take the traditional path when it comes to our careers. Life tends to throw us curve balls when we’re least expecting it, and this was definitely the case for Becki Delauter. Her career path was very non-traditional - she found herself needing to get back into the workforce after going through a divorce. After being a stay-at-home mom for several years, Becki started supporting herself and her two boys by juggling multiple part-time jobs. Eventually, Becki landed her current role as the Philanthropic Services Manager for the Community Foundation of Frederick County. ...
info_outline 38: Taking Care of People with Margaret SimoneauLeadership Evolution
Leadership isn’t necessarily something we all want to pursue in our lives, but sometimes we end up leading more than we realize. For Margaret Simoneau, her career path started in massage therapy, but the wear and tear on her body pushed her to do something different. After working with the Frederick County Workforce Services, she was introduced to Plamondon Hospitality Partners. Margaret has been with Plamondon for over 9 years and is currently the Senior Analyst. She helps to provide results-oriented support to Plamondon‘s hotels and uncovering opportunities to maximize efficiencies and...
info_outline 37: Never Let Success Get to Your Head and Never Let Failure Get to Your Heart with Christine Cambareri-KayLeadership Evolution
Sometimes those around us need a little extra support in their lives, and someone to advocate for them. That’s exactly what Christine Cambareri-Kay did when she began working with adults with developmental disabilities after college. Christine felt like her career ‘found’ her, because she wasn’t sure what her career path would look like after completing her Master’s degree. She’s held various leadership positions over the years, working in human services and the nonprofit sector, with her most recent being the Division Director for the Division of Citizen Services in Frederick...
info_outline 36: Magic Happens Outside Your Comfort Zone with Karan KalantzisLeadership Evolution
Leadership has always been a key part of Karan Kalantzis’ journey - it actually started for her back in junior high when she joined student council. Over the years, Karan was drawn to planning and organizing activities for others in school and with her career, and she’s gained a great deal of experience in the small business community working in program development. Karan learned about the Maryland Women’s Business Center during the pandemic, which then led to her current role as the Senior Business Consultant for Frederick County. Being collaborative, allowing others to let their...
info_outline 35: Be Prepared with Andrea BakerLeadership Evolution
The arts have always played a major role in Andrea Baker’s life. Whether she was participating in dance and theater throughout her childhood or just living life in a more creative and exploratory fashion, Andrea has continually felt drawn to the arts industry. While she was very comfortable in her previous job, Andrea felt a ‘shift’ when the pandemic happened - especially with having 2 young children at the time. She was ready to come back to the arts, and she found her (now) current position as the Development and Community Outreach Manager for the Maryland Ensemble Theater (MET) in...
info_outline 34: There is No Change in the Comfort Zone with Mary GeaseyLeadership Evolution
Sometimes it takes another person to show us our true potential when we can’t see it ourselves. After talking with her high school counselor, Mary Geasey decided to go down the path of higher education and pursue a degree in education. Along her journey, she wanted to learn more about how she could better support her students with special needs. Mary soon became recognized as a special educator, and eventually, she was chosen to rebuild the special education services and programs at Walkersville Elementary School. She is now a special education instructor and has been an educator with...
info_outline 33: Leading with Emotional Intelligence with Andrew MooreLeadership Evolution
When we’re young, we may not clearly know what we want to do in life - especially when it comes to our careers. This was the case for Andrew Moore; he didn’t find what he truly enjoyed until his early thirties, which ended up being aviation. Andrew previously worked in construction on environmental and infrastructure projects. After a few years of obtaining certifications and interviewing, he became an assistant airport manager, and is now the airport manager at Frederick Municipal Airport. Andrew really tuned into his intuition when it came to switching career paths - he had...
info_outline 32: Treat Everyone Like Family with Chris MullendoreLeadership Evolution
The fire and rescue service world has been a huge part of Chris Mullendore’s life since he was a young boy. Both his dad and brother worked for the fire department, which eventually influenced Chris’ decision to become a firefighter. Over the years, he has worked hard and continued to promote through the various ranks of fire and rescue. Chris is now the Battalion Chief of Health and Safety for the Division of Fire and Rescue Services in Frederick County. Chris has always been very proficient when it comes to the skills training in fire and rescue, but he came to realize that...
info_outlineJackie Dougé brings passion and focus to all aspects of her life. As a young girl, she envisioned herself becoming a pediatrician and worked hard to make that dream come true. She is extremely creative and channels that creativity through content creation, program development creation, and finding new ways to bring healthcare to children and families in Frederick County.
One of the topics discussed in the episode is the exploding mental health needs of kids and teens. Jackie provides insights into why this is happening and what can be done to help mitigate the impact. She also touches on the topic of providing allyship for her patients. She has a strong passion for bringing equitable access to everyone in the community. She shares the importance of advocating for equity and equitable access to resources in order to create the best start for kids and families. Striving for equality is not enough, as equal access to resources does not necessarily lead to equal outcomes. Jackie highlights the importance of leaders listening, learning, speaking up, and providing buffer protection to help soften the impact.
About Jackie Douge:
Jacqueline Dougé, MD, MPH, FAAP is an accomplished pediatrician with over 20 years of experience, and a respected speaker and writer. Her past roles include Deputy Health Officer at the Frederick County Health Department and Bureau Director and Medical Director of Maternal Child Health at the Howard County Health Department. Dr. Dougé holds a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a Medical Degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Rutgers University. She has been featured in several media outlets, and is the founder of What is Black, LLC, a production company focused on stories that celebrate Black families. Dr. Dougé has co-authored the AAP Policy Statement on the Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health, and the middle grade novel Learning to Love All of Me, in addition to being an in-demand speaker on racism and children's health. She has served in several volunteer and leadership roles, including Chair of the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee to Achieve Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Past President of the Maryland Public Health Association.
Website: https://www.whatisblack.co/
Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/WhatisBlk/
https://www.instagram.com/whatisblk/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-douge-md-mph-faap-12b85624/
Free Resource:
6 Tips For Talking About Race with Kids
- Sign up for What is Black's Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/whatisblack/newsletter
- Freebie will be emailed
- Only available for 30 days after the podcast episode airs
Episode Timestamps:
- Jackie’s journey to where she is today {01:24}
- The rising mental health crisis in teens {07:25}
- Jackie’s leadership role {11:25}
- Advocating for equity {15:08}
- Some of the biggest needs for black families in Frederick County {19:34}
- The What Is Black podcast {23:00}
“Knowing that even though I may be talking to a family, it's really a partnership. So this idea now of being a leader is not necessarily me being above someone else, but really understanding that I'm there to serve and partner and ally with families and also use my platform to speak up and raise issues that my patients or families may not be able to. Or maybe help provide that allyship in that I believe what my patients are saying, how they identify, how they're showing up their experiences.”
Connect with Rachel Harrison:
https://traumaspecialistsofmd.com/
https://www.frederickchamber.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trauma_specialist/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064008974101&mibextid=LQQJ4d
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-harrison-81a4796/