Charity Carr

My success is rooted in a combination of the people, values, and inner drive that have shaped every chapter of my life. Throughout my career, I’ve been guided by mentors who saw potential in me long before I fully recognized it in myself. Their influence taught me how to lead with integrity, think strategically, and navigate complexity with confidence.

My family, friends and colleagues have been my constant foundation. Their support, resilience, and belief in my purpose have fueled my determination to grow, stretch, and pursue work that makes a meaningful difference. My daughter’s cancer journey, in particular, gave me a deeper understanding of why patient-centered design truly matters, transforming my professional focus into a personal mission.

My faith has strengthened me through both successes and challenges, grounding me in gratitude and reminding me that the work I do is bigger than any single project. It has helped me stay centered, compassionate, and committed to serving others with intention.

And at the core of everything is the internal joy and love I was blessed with, a genuine desire to help people, create solutions, and leave things better than I found them. That spirit has guided my leadership, my creativity, and my dedication to making healthcare environments safer, more supportive, and more human.

These influences together have shaped the leader I am today and continue to drive the work I feel called to do.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is simple but powerful: anything worth doing is worth doing well.

This philosophy has shaped the way I lead and the way I serve. It reminds me that real leadership is not only about guiding a team through complex decisions. It’s also about being willing to roll up my sleeves and do the work alongside them. I can lead a room full of stakeholders, and in the same breath, I will pick up a broom to help clean a space if that’s what the moment calls for. That balance of accountability and humility has defined my approach throughout my career.

In healthcare design and construction, where the smallest details make a meaningful difference for patients and care teams, this mindset matters. Doing things well isn’t about perfection. It’s about integrity, intention, and caring enough to give your best, especially when the work touches people at their most vulnerable.

This guidance continues to influence how I collaborate, how I show up for others, and how I measure success in every role I take on.

For young women entering a traditionally male-dominated industry, my biggest advice is this: your strength does not come from trying to be the toughest person in the room. It comes from knowing how to be your best self in any situation.

You do not have to pretend to know everything. Ask questions when you do not understand. That willingness to learn is not a weakness, it is a powerful form of confidence. Vulnerability, when grounded in integrity and curiosity, is a leadership skill that will carry you far.

Stay true to who you are rather than molding yourself into what you think others expect you to be. Your authentic voice, your perspective, and your lived experiences are not only valid, they are assets.

I also encourage young women to look beyond the immediate task in front of them and learn to see the bigger picture. Big-picture thinking allows you to connect dots others miss, understand challenges more deeply, and consider multiple perspectives before jumping to a solution. That is where meaningful and strategic leadership begins.

And above all, build a life centered around joy, not just fleeting moments of happiness. Joy is sustainable. It fuels resilience, creativity, and purpose, all of which will support you throughout your career and beyond.

One of the biggest opportunities I am exploring right now is how to expand my career in ways that deepen my impact on patients and families. I have spent many years in project management, leading complex healthcare design and construction initiatives. While I am grateful for the experience and impact I have created, my desire to help patients on a deeper and more personal level continues to grow stronger.

The field of healthcare is shifting, and with that shift comes opportunity. There is an increasing need for leaders who understand both the technical and human sides of care delivery. We need people who can bridge clinical operations, patient experience, design innovation, and system-level thinking. This intersection is where I feel called to contribute more directly.

As healthcare becomes more complex, the opportunity lies in creating solutions that simplify, support, and strengthen the patient journey. Whether it is improving care coordination, integrating emerging technologies, or designing environments that reduce emotional burden, there is tremendous potential to rethink how patients and families experience care.

I value hard work, collaboration, positive energy, and simply being a good human in everything I do. I believe the way you show up matters, and the way you treat people matters even more. Whether I am leading a large project, solving a complex challenge, or helping someone through a difficult moment, I try to bring integrity, compassion, and a genuine desire to make things better.

My CliftonStrengths reflect the values that guide me. As an Arranger and Achiever, I believe in putting in the work, staying organized, and creating momentum that moves people and projects forward. As someone strong in Individualization and Connectedness, I value people for who they uniquely are. I strive to create environments where others feel seen, understood, and supported.

My Strategic, Learner, Futuristic, and Ideation strengths speak to how much I value curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement. I get excited about exploring new ideas, mapping out possibilities, and rethinking processes to make them better for patients, families, and care teams. Growth is not just something I pursue professionally. It is a personal value that keeps me grounded, inspired, and open to change.

Responsibility is also core to who I am. When I commit to something, I follow through. When someone trusts me with their vision or their story, I honor that trust. And when challenges arise, I take ownership and find a way forward.

Above all, I value bringing positive energy into the spaces I work and live in. Joy is a choice, and it is a sustaining force. I believe in creating environments where people feel uplifted, supported, and connected to something meaningful.

These values guide how I lead, how I collaborate, and how I continue to evolve both personally and professionally.