CBHA's Race, Equity, & Social Justice Committee | |
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Outstanding Women Edition
Women around the world continue to fight for the right to vote, to defend their country, to receive an education, and to earn fair pay for the same work as their male colleagues. We celebrate women in March during Women's History Month and in May for Mother's Day, but there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate women's rights this summer.
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Upcoming Dates to Uplift Women
June 24 - International Day of Women in Diplomacy
June 27 - Helen Keller Day
July 12 - Malala Day
July 23 - National Women Touched by Addiction Day
July 30 - World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
August 26 - Women's Equality Day
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Pride Month, celebrated each June, honors the LGBTQ+ community's history, achievements, and ongoing struggles for equality and acceptance. Originating from the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, a pivotal moment in the fight for equal rights, Pride Month serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of visibility, solidarity, and the continuous effort to combat discrimination and promote inclusivity. Pride Month encourages individuals and allies to come together, celebrate their identities, and advocate for a world where everyone can live authentically and free from prejudice. No matter who you are or who you love, you deserve to be treated with kindness and respect.
CBHA takes our commitment to LGBTQ+ rights very seriously. In late 2023, the CBHA Board voted to pursue legislation that would ban the practice of conversion therapy on adults. Although the practice is banned for minors, it remains legal to provide conversion therapy to vulnerable adults. CBHA, along with our trade partners and allies in the industry, plans to lead the charge towards a future where no person is ever subject to this practice in Illinois again.
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Outstanding Women in Leadership
The American Psychological Association, 2023, shares with us that, "When women are empowered to lead, everyone benefits. Decades of studies have shown that women leaders help increase productivity, enhance collaboration, inspire organizational dedication, and improve fairness." Unfortunately, the fact remains that despite this, just under 11% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women.
CBHA is proud to share that we see women. We recognize women for their strength, steadfastness, and individuality. Their commitment to work, creativity, innovation, family, and fairness. We honor and admire women who inspire us through transformational leadership.
Today, the RESJ Committee is proud to recognize 7 Outstanding Women in Leadership, who embody all the traits mentioned above. Back in March, we asked each woman to share with us a few words about what Women's History Month meant to them as well as which women in their lives have influenced them. It is important that we see and recognize women each and every day, not just during a particular month.
Please help us uplift and honor these incredible leaders, as we think about all that has been accomplished by women, and all that is yet to be accomplished. Join us in reading their words:
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Blanca Campos, MPA, CAE
Chief Executive Officer, CBHA
What does Women's History Month mean to you?
Women’s History Month to me is a time of recognition and reflection. It gives us an opportunity to celebrate each other’s successes and highlight the many important ways women shape and influence our society.
What woman has influenced you the most in your life and/or career?
I come from a family of strong, caring women, my mom, sister, my aunts, are all people who I admire and look up to. Professionally, I have a huge admiration for the women in our industry, they are the salt of the earth. I get to work with women who are mission-driven and have devoted their professional careers to providing care to the most vulnerable among us. They do their work with a lot of heart and kindness. I am extremely humbled and grateful to work alongside them. I look up to and admire them.
Why do we need more women in leadership?
We need more women in leadership because we bring a unique perspective to the table and serve as role models for other women. When I got the CEO job at CBHA, I received many messages from people congratulating me. I was especially touched by some of the things my female family and friends expressed. One of them said, “You are an inspiration to me and my daughter that women can be CEOs and leaders in today’s sometimes scary world.” I also had several friends who said they were excited to share the news with their daughters that their friend, a Latina, who comes from an immigrant family like theirs was chosen to lead the Association.
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Michelle Churchey-Mims, LCPC
VP of Child and Adolescent Policy and Practice, CBHA
What does Women's History Month mean to you?
Women's History Month is an opportunity to highlight some of the many women who have made significant contributions. I think it is hard to capture all the ways women contribute. This might be because often women contribute and keep moving forward rather than look for acknowledgement.
What woman has influenced you the most in your life and/or career?
I don't know if I have one particular woman who has had the greatest influence. Of course, my mom set the stage in giving me a secure foundation to explore and try new things knowing that if I didn't succeed it would be ok and that there is so much to learn in the journey vs. the destination. I truly value the group of women I have met in my journeys who each bring a different perspective who challenge and support me to keep learning and growing.
Why do we need more women in leadership?
We need more women in leadership to have broader representation in decision making that impacts us and future generations of women. It is especially important now.
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Stacie Kemp, MSW, LCSW
President & CEO, Sinnissippi Centers
What does Woman's History Month mean to you?
Woman’s History Month is a time to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the women that have come before us throughout history. Without the strong women leaders who have paved the way before us and challenged the status quo, I would not be where I am today.
What woman has influenced you the most in your life and/or career?
My mom has been the greatest influence in my life and my career. She has always believed in my abilities and aspirations, which helped me to believe in myself. She challenged and pushed me to advocate for myself, while also giving me the space to ultimately make my own decisions.
Why do we need more women in leadership?
In a predominantly female-oriented field, I am beyond proud to be the first female President & CEO at Sinnissippi Centers in the almost 60-year history of the organization. Being a female leader offers unique challenges. While my responsibilities in the workplace have increased exponentially, my responsibilities in my home and personal life have not decreased at that same rate. I feel passionate about being a positive role model and supporting other aspiring female leaders, demonstrating that it is possible to both lead an organization and maintain a healthy personal and family life. As a CEO with young daughters at home, I pride myself in being a positive role model to them and encouraging them to achieve their dreams, while also being real and transparent about the challenges that come with increased responsibility.
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Anne McNelis, LCSW
Co-CEO & Clinical Director, Transitions Mental Health Services
What does Woman's History Month mean to you?
For me, I think of the many women who have come before me. The women who showed undisputable courage, fought injustices, marched for rights and shattered barriers, often times during periods in history where it also put their lives at grave risk. It is a time to celebrate, reflect on and honor these momentous contributions women have made for equality and the betterment of our society for this and future generations.
Living in a time where we have many advancements to celebrate, as well as many societal crises to confront, I’m emboldened by the growing movement of women leaders who are working to make our country and the world healthier and more equitable. I’m especially passionate about uplifting and supporting women of color in leadership roles and helping to address the structural inequalities and injustices facing our communities.
It is a true honor, and I feel incredibly humbled to be recognized for Women’s History Month, especially alongside so many other amazing female leaders. I am excited to share this recognition with my daughter and to reflect with her on the endless possibilities we are building for her and the next generation of young women.
What woman has influenced you the most in your life and/or career?
My mother, Florence Ireland McNelis, has been the most influential woman in my life. As an Irish immigrant, she left Ireland in the late 1950’s to attend nursing school in Bristol, England. She pursued schooling to become a nurse, but then left Europe in the early ‘60’s to become a psychiatric nurse in the United States. After meeting my father, who was also an Irish immigrant, in Chicago, she married and became a mother to six children.
Two specific experiences stood out to me and helped shape my life as a young girl. The first involved watching my mother fight a personal battle against the Chicago Public Schools for failing to provide adequate special education services for one of my brothers. I attended many of the legal depositions with my mother and her attorney, who incidentally was a clinical social worker who turned J.D.
I also watched my mother fight back against racism at my elementary school during the desegregation movement in the Chicago Public School system, in the mid-1970’s. Both experiences provided me with a fierce example of an unwavering female spirit fighting social injustices in our community. These experiences influenced my pursuit to become a clinical social worker. So, during this month, I remember my mom, as well as my fellow female colleagues and leaders who work tirelessly every day to make this world better for all.
Why do we need more women in leadership?
I truly believe women bring distinct traits and qualities that enhance the success of organizations. I think women’s capacity for high empathy, relationship-building, inclusivity, integrity, inspiring others and personal resilience, make them uniquely positioned to lead businesses and organizations to new progressive levels. I also think that women have a unique perspective of what changes are needed to move our society towards healthier, safer, more equitable and effective structures, systems and communities. It’s an exciting time to be a woman leader and to have the opportunity to help shape change in our community and the health and human service systems in Illinois!
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Mansi Patel
COO, FSA of Greater Elgin
What does Woman's History Month mean to you?
Women’s History Month to me means empowerment and achievement. The contributions women make in society deserves recognition and celebration. The buzz created around Women’s History Month is monumental, it reminds us women, that we can do anything, and we will be supported if we stumble, even if we fail and especially if we fail. It reminds me of the work that has been achieved by amazing women such as Elizabeth Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Maya Angelou, Madeline Albright, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Malala Yousafzai, Michelle Obama and so many more outstanding women. It also reminds me, that we have the power to bring about positive change to our society by advocating for our rights because it’s our right. Women’s History Month is a celebration of women and the supportive allies who continue to elevate and uplift women in the community and the workplace.
What woman has influenced you the most in your life and/or career?
Many women have influenced me in my life and career thus far. I am inspired daily by my mom and sister who continue to uplift me and never stop believing me, even when I struggle to.
I am continuously inspired by the countless women who champion women for no other reason than to see them flourish. Women like Julie Rodriguez, CBHA’s Race, Equity and Social Justice Chair and Bernadette May, former Executive Director of FSA. It is a privilege to have mentors, and especially mentors who are women, to learn from and grow. Every woman deserves it.
Why do we need more women in leadership?
Women are fighters, and I believe Women’s History Month gives us more courage and ambition for a brighter future. We value inclusion and seek to be included, unconditionally. We are focused on growth and supporting holistic success through an equity lens. I truly believe women continue to rise despite the barriers they face and inequities they endure because they are dedicated to ensuring every woman after them doesn’t have to face those barriers and can and will succeed.
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Kristy Rodgers, CPA
Co-CEO & Clinical Director, Transitions Mental Health Services
What does Woman's History Month mean to you?
This is a month much like other months that honor different parts of society. It’s a month to remember past women’s influence on today’s women, but it shouldn’t be the only month we do this. Throughout the year, we should look to those women who have forged paths for us. When I speak with my husband’s 100-year-old grandmother, who has lived through the depression and raised 5 children while working outside the home, I’m reminded of the sacrifices that she and others like her made so that I’m able to make similar choices and not be judged by society. Hopefully our generation of women can continue to close the wage gap, regain lost rights (not to get political), and lead more companies with hard work, empathy, compassion, inspiration, and humility.
What woman has influenced you the most in your life and/or career?
This may seem unconventional, but the woman who had probably the most influence on my career was someone who was actually the opposite of a positive influence. I will not name names for obvious reasons. She was my supervisor right out of college, and she was everything that I have strived to not be in my career. She was competitive, unkind, and negative (to name just a few of her characteristics). After working under someone like that for several months, I vowed that if I was fortunate enough to supervise/lead anyone, I would treat them with kindness, compassion, and respect. Women should support other women, not tear them down. On a more positive note, I am now fortunate to work in a very supportive environment. We have a strong team of women leading our organization who have been together for over 20 years. We have leaned on each other during some very difficult times but also have supported each other’s accomplishments both personally and professionally.
Why do we need more women in leadership?
We need more examples of women leaders to inspire the younger generation of girls. A current but perhaps non-traditional example of a female leader is Caitlyn Clark from the Iowa Hawkeyes. She just broke the leading scoring record for both sexes. She not only leads in scoring but also holds a Big 10 record in assists, which is in my opinion even more admirable than the scoring record. She is bringing her teammates up with her, as any good leader should do. Young girls have a role model they can emulate that is arguably one of the best if not the best college basketball player in the country (male or female).
Little girls need to know though example that they can lead a company, a movement, a sport, and even a country.
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Anna Schneider
Director of Medicaid/Managed Care Policy, CBHA
What does Woman's History Month mean to you?
Women’s History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions, achievements, and experiences of women in past and in contemporary society. It serves as an ongoing reminder that women have had to fight for certain rights men have been granted by default. We can use this month to highlight (more than usual) the value women have brought and continue to bring the world, and everyone living in it.
What woman has influenced you the most in your life and/or career?
Anais Nin, a French-born American novelist and essayist, influenced me from a young age. She famously said, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” This stoic idea has impacted me in how I operate in different aspects of my life, including professionally. When we can remove the perception of what we think is happening, our potential is limitless.
Why do we need more women in leadership?
There are many reasons women need to be in leadership. Representation and diversity of perspectives is of course among them. However, it’s important to highlight the many studies continually published on what types of characteristics and skills women bring to the workplace when compared to their male counterparts. These traits should be understood, acknowledged, and considered when selecting leadership candidates. According to a national survey by the Pew Research Center, some of these traits include honesty, compassion, and creativeness. Other studies note team collaboration is greatly improved by the presence of women and emphasized that women tend to exhibit greater equality in conversational turn-taking, further enabling the overall responsiveness of the group in effectively using the best knowledge and skills of each member. All of the sills mentioned lead to efficient decision-making and innovation.
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