The Backstory: Dionne Galloway, ProInspire’s Director of Leadership Development Programs
We believe in the power of people. Any nonprofit organization — including ours — is made stronger by the constellation of individuals with unique perspectives, interests, and dreams. You know our title, and you know what we do to help achieve ProInspire’s mission. But who are we as individuals, and what do we do and think about in the spaces between work?
The Backstory is an occasional blog series to help you learn more about our staff. Here, we profile Dionne Galloway, ProInspire’s Director of Leadership Development Programs.
Backgrounder
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
StrengthsFinder Top Strengths: Empathy, Restorative, Futuristic, Ideation, Developer
Pre-ProInspire: Director of Marketing and Operations for a residential real estate group in Northern Virginia, focused on building, training, and supporting a growing team, and business development.
Why social sector? I wanted meaning in my career. I wanted something more than a paycheck; I wanted to feel passion for my work and know that I was making a difference. Becoming a mother was my ‘a-ha’ moment. When my maternity leave ended, I felt that if I was going to leave my daughter in the care of others, I wanted my career to matter.
Why ProInspire? My journey with ProInspire started in the Fellowship; I was a 2013 Fellow and served as the Operations Manager at City First Enterprises. Before being selected as a Fellow, the transition to the social sector was difficult. The sector felt like an ‘insider’s club,’ where you had to be vetted with a proven track record of passion to help others. I was well suited for many of the opportunities I encountered, but I wasn’t part of the circle of trust. This made it difficult to make connections, and therefore I was passed over. When I found the ProInspire Fellowship, it spoke to me based on the challenges I had experienced. It gave me what I needed: the connections and credibility to help me make the switch. After my Fellowship year, I joined the ProInspire staff.
What does your typical day look like? I spend a lot of time on strategy around how to grow and sustain our programs, and how to best deliver our current opportunities. I also focus on relationship building with our stakeholders: faculty and consultants, partners, Fellows, and alumni. I set aside time to reflect on professional development best practices and our current offerings.
Deep Thoughts
What does social sector leadership mean to you? An individual’s ability to find their voice and use it to affect change in this world and empower others. The traditional view of ‘leader’ is a c-suite executive, but everyone within an organization or the social sector plays a role in achieving our ultimate goal which is a better world for children, families, and individuals.
What skills will social sector leaders need in the next 5-10 years? An open and inclusive mindset. The sector’s approach to achieving impact is evolving and the needs within our community are constantly changing, so we need to be open to challenging the status quo and truly understanding what is needed to address systemic issues. Leaders also need to value an inclusive environment and actively work to ensure there are diverse voices and faces at the table, so that we are all better positioned to realize our goals and move initiatives forward.
What is the greatest challenge facing social sector leaders? Honestly, ourselves. I think we get stuck in our process; if it’s worked before, we get attached to our way and don’t take time to step back, get on the balcony, and reflect on whether it’s the best, or the right, way. Resources are another challenge, including human capital and funding for important activities such as professional development and initiatives to increase diversity, equity and inclusion.
Lightning Round
Dream job: Bed and breakfast owner in a small beach or lake town. Picture a big, beautiful home with a wraparound porch.
First concert: Michael Jackson, age 9, on a school night in Cleveland
Next up on your playlist: Kenny G. It’s soothing and helps me focus in our shared office space
Favorite book: The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck
Superpower: Finder of all things, fixer of all things. If you lost something, I can find it. If it’s broken, I discover unconventional ways to fix it.