If you did not know, the Junior League of Raleigh (JLR) is a local chapter of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Incorporated (AJLI), an organization whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. Since 1930, the Junior League of Raleigh has been instrumental in the founding and development of critical non-profit agencies through both transformative gifts and well-trained womanpower; please note that its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The Junior League of Raleigh also welcomes all women who live and identify as women and value our mission; we are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations, and communities. Lastly, the Junior League of Raleigh is always evolving, offering busy women opportunities to lead and volunteer AND expanding in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Our ~1200 members are always working to expand and deepen outreach to the community to enhance the current quality of life and the future successes of Raleigh and Wake County.
I am less than four days away from completing my one-year term as President of the Junior League of Raleigh. It is a bittersweet moment, as I have had an amazing time serving in this capacity; seriously, in my 14 years of League life, this has been my easiest and most fun placement. I had an extremely committed and competent Staff + Board of Directors who showed up and showed out all year long; therefore, I did not have to sweat the small stuff, live in the weeds for any event or program, or micromanage any VP, Captain, or Committee member. Can you say win-win-win situation? Also, post-COVID, I set five SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) goals for this League year: 1) Make necessary updates to the JLR Bylaws and obtain approval from the membership; 2) Ensure a 100% retention rate for JLR Staff; 3) Have approximately 200 members in attendance at each of our three General Membership Meetings this League year; 4) Recognize positive net profit for each of the JLR’s three standing fundraising events this League year –Shopping SPREE!, Annual Day of Giving, and Touch-A-Truck; and 5) Begin the process of transitioning to the Digital Cheetah Member Essentials online platform. Throughout the entire year, I remained focused on these goals and I can say that I have achieved all of them, with the help of my amazing JLR staff, leaders, and members.
From the moment I said yes to serving as 2022-2023 JLR President-Elect, I knew exactly how I would show up and represent the Junior League of Raleigh during that preliminary year, during my term as 2023-2024 President, and during my upcoming assignment as 2024-2025 Immediate Past President. My brand – or how people see me in terms of my personality, skills and/or values – remains the same no matter what space I am in, whether at work, at play, or anywhere in between. And that is intentional on my part because I want to always appear authentic and transparent so people know exactly who I am and what I represent. Anyone who knows or encounters me sees effectiveness, efficiency, dedication, determination, openness, and organization. When I show up demonstrating these traits, people willingly open up to me, anxiously look forward to me leading them, and overwhelmingly feel like they are an important part of any process. Letting my personality, skills, and values shine is the reason I can say that I had an amazing year serving as President of the Junior League of Raleigh. And I will continue to showcase my brand in any personal or professional space I am in moving forward! #yourbrandisimportant
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