How has working at Katz impacted your career?
When I began at Katz, I was immediately impressed by its strong leadership, inclusive environment, and the longevity of its employees. It's a place where you are encouraged to think 'outside the box.' It's an environment where my strategic ideas, creativity and leadership style are valued and embraced.
What advice would you give women entering the workforce now?
My best advice is to constantly challenge yourself, seek out new opportunities, and be vigilant in your pursuit of your own definition of success. Be creative and collaborative. Set personal and professional goals for yourself. Always be a team player and be generous with your ideas. Respect the opinions of others (even if you don’t agree with them, every idea has value!). Seek out an experienced mentor who is willing to provide valuable support and guidance when needed. Lastly, have fun! If you enjoy what you do, you will have a wonderful and fulfilling career.
Share a "fun fact" about yourself!
I serve on the board of directors of Rock and Wrap It Up!, which delivers extra food from concerts and sporting events to homeless shelters. I founded Project We Share, the group’s corporate donation arm, in 1993, and received the Lena and Joseph Mandelbaum Humanitarian Award in 2001, alongside former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman (Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Award recipient). As a board member, I supported the creation of the Federal Food Donation Act, the core of which came from a Rock and Wrap It Up! position paper on fighting poverty in America. It was signed into law on June 19, 2008.
Who or what is inspiring to you?
Since we are focusing on Women’s Month, I really admire Eleanor Roosevelt, Shirley Chisholm, Gloria Steinem, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Billie Jean King, just to name a few. These women, each in their own way, represent courageous, quick-thinking, independent-minded, creative, bold individuals, whom either broke through sterotypes, or rose to leadership positions at a time when such attributes by women were not accepted. In addition, I have had very strong women role models in my family. My grandmother was a suffragist. She spoke from a soapbox in the New York City parks advocating that women should have the right to vote. She had the courage to raise her voice, so that other women could hear their own. My mother was a social worker and President of her trade union in the 1970s. Many of her colleagues were women, and she successfully fought for higher pay and better benefits
What attribute or skill has helped you the most in your career?
The ability to lead diverse creative teams, develop creative, strategic concepts, and bring them to life.