Fall 2013
How did you become involved with Children’s? Doug Hertz, former chairman of the Children’s Board of Trustees,
How do you balance your charitable involvement with your other commitments?
and Stephanie Blank, former Foundation Board chair, invited me
Balance is an interesting term. It implies two ends of a scale. But,
to lunch to discuss Children’s and see if I was willing to become
life is multifaceted—sometimes more like a 3-D Chinese puzzle!
involved. They “had me at hello.” I had been interested in
Whatever your passion is in life, you figure out how to make it
Children’s for some time, between my personal experience with
part of your priorities. I love the saying from my grandfather’s
three active sons, and my professional experience with healthcare
generation: “If you want an important job done, ask a busy person
finance and mergers. I felt Children’s was an organization where I
to do it.” We are so fortunate to have some of the community’s
could contribute my experience in a meaningful way.
most influential leaders give so much to Children’s, even though they are incredibly busy, they give so generously of their time and
How has your professional experience been of benefit to your work with Children’s?
talents. I am so inspired by our trustees and motivated by the
My first job on Wall Street was working with and financing
thing in perspective.
not-for-profit healthcare providers. While I have worked with companies in other industries since then, I have stayed involved in the healthcare industry throughout my career. This industry
importance of the Children’s mission. It puts the whole “balance”
How has your philanthropy made an impact on your life?
has been in a continuous state of change and has recently
Philanthropy is “soul food;” it has a tremendous impact on your
faced significant reform. With change comes opportunity, and
life from all perspectives. Being involved with any great cause
Children’s is taking action to anticipate and act on the trends
is extremely rewarding and provides a great deal of satisfaction
we are seeing in other areas of the country. My professional
and personal fulfillment. I have had the honor of working with
experience has helped me stay on top of the organization’s
several worthy philanthropic causes, but all it takes is one walk
opportunities, issues and key initiatives.
through the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), heart transplant area, Emergency Department, wellness event, or any of the other
Is there an initiative that you have found especially meaningful?
important programs at Children’s, and you will know why I think
I am impressed by the sheer number and breadth of initiatives
What is your advice for budding philanthropists?
the organization takes on every day. I credit our deep bench of physicians, nurses, researchers, management and staff, as well as our partners, donors and volunteers. Excellence seems to be the hallmark of everything Children’s sets out to do. There are too many remarkable things to list, let alone single out. Our board is currently working with the Children’s management team to update and implement our strategic plan. There is significant change occurring in the healthcare industry, and we want to be proactive rather than reactive. While we just started this process earlier this year, a tremendous amount of work has been done and progress is being made at an impressive rate. I am so proud of our management team and board members for the time, effort, focus and care they have committed to this most important initiative. Stay tuned—there is more to come.
Children’s ranks number one on the “soul food” scale.
I love the Nike slogan, “Just Do It.” Being involved with Children’s is so easy. There are so many ways to be involved— from activities to events and committees. Just look at the calendar on our website; it seems like there is something going on almost every day all around metro Atlanta. Visit choa.org/events to view a listing of upcoming events and to become more involved.
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