Her Story
About Sheryl
I have been in the nonprofit sector for about 20 years, serving as a financial and operational leader. My expertise encompasses full-cycle accounting, investment management, fund accounting, budgets, and compliance. I have always served as the lead in audits, and I am proud that out of 20 years, every audit I have participated in has had zero findings. I work to improve workflow so that it makes sense and is not just theoretical but practical, putting solutions to work within budget and human resource constraints. My career journey has been transformative. I started with UTC as the Director of Finance and Administration after coming out of a domestic violence relationship that was very difficult. I did not count myself out and began rebuilding. I worked very hard, believed in what they were doing, and was grateful for the opportunity. I had a supervisor who groomed me and saw something in me that I did not even see in myself. I was promoted the next year to VP, then to SVP, and when my supervisor moved on, the board asked me to be the interim President and CEO. Initially, I said absolutely not because I loved my job as a numbers girl and did not like to go out and talk. But they asked me again, and I did it, and I did it well. I got recognized, traveled a lot, spoke a lot, and grew professionally. It was an amazing journey, though I also encountered challenges, like times when people would automatically assume my husband was the one speaking because they did not expect a woman in that role. I was the same person as President and CEO as I was when I started as Director of Finance, and I was happy to leave with my soul intact. Beyond my work at UTC, I am an IRS-certified tax preparer for close to 20 years and do pro bono work for elderly and low-income individuals every year. I sit on the board for an organization called LIFE, which is dedicated to making the lives of people with different abilities in their adulthood fulfilling and meaningful. I also sit on the board of a bank that will hopefully be opening in the Washington, D.C. area in the next year or two. I am active in my church on Hope Ministry. I have a blended family with my wonderful husband - we call ourselves the love bunch with six kids, grandkids coming, kids going to college, and my father is still alive. My great-grandmother, who was born in 1902 and did not get much education as a woman of color, had a big influence on me and always pushed for education. I am a lifelong learner with two master's degrees and have just finished a doctorate.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sheryl
01What do you attribute your success to?
It is not me, it is God, because when I was going through those hard knocks and life lessons, I just wanted to survive. But I always knew, and I attribute this to my great-grandmother and my family, my father, my mother, of them telling me, whether they believed it or not, I can do anything. I will not have to be intimidated by racism or sexism. I can do anything I want, and I can, with God.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received is: if you were given the role, believe that you need to walk in that role. What that meant to me was that sometimes, especially when I was in that President and CEO position, I was like, oh, I do not think I deserve this. But you have it, you have been offered it, you deserve it. Walk in that. Do not walk in what you think you do not deserve. Walk in it. And if it is something you want, walk in it before you even get there. Believe it, and do not let anybody tell you different. When I was given the role, I was very apologetic and lacked confidence, saying things like, you know, if things do not work out, you can always let me go. Well, somebody told me, they know that. So instead of focusing on that, focus on you have got the role, walk in it. Learn it, be the best, and just relish in that.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Know yourself, know your worth, as early as possible. Do not let others define you, especially since we live in this social media era where everything is quick, fast, in a hurry, take a picture, and this is the life you have. It is not just that easy, but you have got to start with knowing who you are, knowing your worth, and what you will accept and what you will not accept. Understand those lines and set those boundaries in everyday life, especially for women.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is I am getting older. So there are models that are younger, faster, cheaper. But I do not need to be babysat. I might be slower than younger people, but that does not mean anything. Like in Fried Green Tomatoes, I have got more insurance and more money. I will be okay. It is an interesting dynamic to see it for yourself. I really think about how it is not a given to be here, and there are some that did not make it. My mother died relatively young, so it is not a promise. The fact that I am here is great, so I do not let that waste my precious time thinking about negative things. It is just a new dynamic.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me are kindness, transparency, and truth. That is what is important to me personally, and it is important to be that way professionally. You have got to be honest with yourself and with other people. And you have to be kind. You cannot just say, well, this is the truth, so I have a right to say it. There is a way - you have to put kindness with it, and that comes with integrity. I am a big fan of being authentic, though I think that changes, but you need to be as authentic as you can. You cannot show up one day as this person and the next day as another person. I was the same person as President and CEO as I was when I started as Director of Finance, and I was happy to leave with my soul intact.
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