An exploration of authentic leadership that embraces uncertainty, continuous learning, and growth. This piece challenges the myth of perfect readiness and encourages women to lead with integrity while remaining open to development and self-improvement.
Her Story
About Jodi
Jodi Towne is a nonprofit leader and disability advocate dedicated to strengthening support systems for individuals with disabilities, children, and families. She serves as the Respite Program Coordinator at Eagle Valley Children’s Home in Northern Nevada, where she leads an in home respite program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Through this work, Jodi helps ensure caregivers have access to meaningful relief, allowing them time to rest, manage responsibilities, and maintain stability within their homes.
With approximately five years of experience in social services, Jodi has worked with a wide range of populations, including homeless veterans, individuals facing complex life circumstances, children involved in foster care, and families navigating disability and community based services. These experiences have shaped her belief that effective support must be compassionate, accessible, and responsive to the unique needs of every individual and family.
Jodi also serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Lyon County, where she advocates for the safety, stability, and well being of children involved in the foster care system. In this role, she works to ensure each child’s voice is heard and remains central to the decisions affecting their future.
As a graduate of Nevada’s Partners in Policymaking program, Jodi has expanded her advocacy work to include disability policy, access to services, and the development of more inclusive communities. She is also involved in disability and chronic illness advocacy and supports organizations such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Jodi holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. She is currently enrolled at Grand Canyon University, where she is pursuing a second master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management.
Her leadership approach is rooted in collaboration, continuous learning, and compassionate service. She believes lasting change happens when families, service providers, community organizations, and policymakers work together while keeping the people being served at the center of every decision.
Through her leadership and advocacy, Jodi continues to advance accessible, inclusive, and sustainable systems of support that empower individuals, strengthen families, and improve communities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jodi
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my strong educational foundation and commitment to continuous learning. My background in sociology and business administration, along with my current studies in public administration with a focus on nonprofit management, has strengthened my leadership and professional skills. Programs such as Partners in Policymaking and leadership development opportunities have further shaped my ability to grow and make a meaningful impact.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received is to never stop learning and never assume you are the smartest person in the room. Every person brings valuable knowledge and experience to the table. Listening to others, asking questions, and remaining open to growth have made me a stronger leader and a more effective advocate. The people we serve should always remain at the center of every decision.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering social services is to give yourself grace, because the work can be challenging and emotionally demanding. Build a strong support network, stay connected with leadership, and check in regularly with your team. Most importantly, remember that you do not have to carry everything alone.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest opportunities in my field are expanding services for individuals with disabilities, advocating for people with chronic illnesses, and supporting vulnerable youth affected by trafficking and gangs. A key challenge is meeting these complex needs while continuing to grow programs effectively. I’m committed to addressing these issues through my work, advocacy, and continued education in public administration.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are compassion, supportive leadership, mentorship, and service. I strive to care for and empower others, help employees grow beyond their roles, and promote healthy boundaries and relationships, especially when supporting vulnerable youth. I also value giving back to my community through advocacy and volunteer work.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Jodi
Leading While Learning: Why Growth Does Not Disqualify You
Leadership Is Not About Having All the Answers—It's About the Courage to Keep Learning
For a long time, I believed leadership was something you stepped into only after you had all the answers. I thought a strong leader should always feel confident, know exactly what to do, and never allow others to see uncertainty. Experience has taught me something very different. Leadership is not the absence of uncertainty. It is the willingness to move forward with integrity, ask thoughtful questions, and remain open to learning along the way. Some of the strongest leaders I have encountered are not the people who claim to know everything. They are the people who listen, adapt, accept feedback, and continue growing.
Many women feel pressured to prove they are completely prepared before pursuing an opportunity. We convince ourselves that we need another degree, more experience, greater confidence, or someone else’s approval before we are qualified to lead. Meanwhile, opportunities pass because we are waiting to become a version of ourselves who feels perfectly ready. The truth is that perfect readiness does not exist. There is a harmful belief that needing guidance, asking questions, or continuing your education means you are not yet qualified. In reality, growth is part of responsible leadership.
I have earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master of Business Administration, and I am currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. I value education deeply, but I have also learned that a degree does not mark the end of learning. Every position, conversation, challenge, and mistake offers another opportunity to grow. My work in social services has shown me that leadership cannot be separated from learning. People and communities are complex. Their needs change, systems evolve, and no single person has every answer. A leader who stops learning eventually stops serving effectively. Continuing to learn does not make me less capable. It makes me more intentional about the responsibility I carry.
Women are often expected to demonstrate competence before they are given an opportunity while also being careful not to appear too confident, ambitious, or outspoken. That contradiction can cause even highly capable women to question whether they belong in leadership. We may hesitate to apply for a position unless we meet every qualification. We may remain quiet in meetings until we are certain our idea is flawless. We may minimize our achievements because we do not want to appear boastful. Self-awareness is valuable, but constantly questioning your worth is not the same as humility.
Leadership does not require pretending to know everything. It requires trusting that you are capable of finding answers, bringing the right people together, and making thoughtful decisions with the information available. It also requires the courage to say, “I do not know yet, but I am willing to learn.” That statement does not weaken a leader. It builds trust. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned is that leadership is not about being the loudest person in the room. It is about understanding when to speak, when to listen, and how to create space for others.
In nonprofit and social service work, decisions affect real people, families, and communities. Effective leadership requires more than policies, budgets, and procedures. It requires listening to the people receiving services, the employees providing support, and the advocates working to improve systems. Listening does not mean avoiding difficult decisions. It means making those decisions with greater understanding. I have become a stronger leader by recognizing that every person brings knowledge I do not have. Good leadership brings those voices together and keeps the people being served at the center of the conversation.
Many women wait to feel confident before taking the next step. In my experience, confidence usually comes after we take it. It develops when we accept an opportunity that challenges us, speak even when our voice shakes, recover from a mistake, or realize that we handled something we once believed was beyond us. Confidence is built through evidence, and we create that evidence by acting.
There will always be moments when you question yourself. A new responsibility may expose an area where you need more knowledge. A difficult decision may leave you wondering whether you chose correctly. Constructive feedback may reveal a weakness you had not recognized. Those moments do not prove you are unqualified. They prove you are human, self-aware, and still developing. The goal is not to eliminate every weakness before leading. The goal is to understand your strengths, take responsibility for your growth, and surround yourself with people whose knowledge complements your own.
Leadership does not require perfection. It requires honesty, accountability, and resilience. We should not be ashamed of becoming more informed, changing our perspective, or admitting that we could have handled something differently. Growth means we are paying attention. It means we care enough to improve. The women who come after us need to see that leadership is not a finished product. They need examples of women who are accomplished but still learning, confident but still curious, and capable without pretending to be perfect.
You do not need to wait until every doubt disappears. You do not need to know everything before you contribute something meaningful. Prepare yourself. Continue your education. Seek mentorship. Ask questions. Listen to people whose experiences differ from yours. Accept feedback without allowing it to erase your confidence. Most importantly, do not confuse being in progress with being unqualified. You can be learning and leading at the same time. In fact, the willingness to continue learning may be one of the strongest qualifications a leader can possess.
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