Board Link Participant: Ronda Petillo
In a recent presentation at work, Ronda heard something that piqued her interest – BoardLink! A regular volunteer with her children’s school and other area nonprofits, Ronda was looking to take her commitment to the next level. BoardLink is a program of the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence, which trains individuals on the responsibilities of nonprofit board members and then matches them with organizations seeking their skills. From three choices, Ronda chose a placement with F.I.R.S.T. Contractors. She is jumping in with both feet, engaging in the board’s strategic planning process and eagerly learning about the organization’s creative approach to meeting the employment needs of teens exiting the foster care and juvenile justice systems.
On a personal level, Ronda enrolled in BoardLink to make a statement in the community. She purposefully chose to step out of her comfort zone by choosing to serve a nonprofit that would challenge her to learn about an issue with which she was previously unfamiliar. To better understand the origin and philosophy of F.I.R.S.T. Contractors, she is reading a book written by the organization’s founder and executive director – a book funded by the Stettinius Award for Nonprofit Leadership, a professional development grant awarded to individuals who demonstrate potential for transformational leadership in the nonprofit sector.
Ronda also pursued this opportunity as a way to set an example for her coworkers. In her professional role, Ronda is an organizational development consultant who is responsible for developing the potential of her peers. Impressed by her experience thus far, she arranged to bring the Building Blocks for Nonprofit Board Members training to the Federal Reserve. She personally invited employees, enticing them with an account of her own story. The response was overwhelming. Employees ranging from administrative staff to the Chief Information Officer for the entire Federal Reserve System registering to attend the session, and there was a waiting list to boot!
