“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
–Margaret Mead
Connector. Relationship-builder. Friend. Confidant.
Leader. Positive. Tireless. Passionate.
Generous. Thoughtful. A great mom! Inspiring. Fabulous.
These are just a few words spoken when I asked some of SWSG’s long-time staff and board members “How would YOU describe Lynne?”
When I first met Lynne, it was a cold and rainy November night in Boston. At the time, I was a volunteer Leadership Coach with Strong Women, Strong Girls. SWSG’s founder was receiving the Margaret Stewart Lindsay award for Social Innovation, and Lynne had flown to Boston from her home in Pittsburgh, PA to attend the ceremony and meet with some corporate partners while she was in town. Despite the rain, Lynne had a spring in her step and a pace that at almost 6 feet tall, even I was struggling to keep up with. In her 4 inch heels, Lynne was outpacing the rest of our group as we walked to the ceremony and somewhere in the five minute walk between Kendall Square and our destination; I realized she was a force to be reckoned with.
In 2007, Lynne was hired as the first-ever local Executive Director of Strong Women, Strong Girls Pittsburgh. During her five-year tenure, she built our program there from the ground-up, with a positive attitude and the ability to excite even the loudest critics.
So as a new Executive Director, what did I learn from Lynne? Over the past year-and-a-half of working together, Lynne has been more than a colleague to me. She has been an inspiration for the entire SWSG team. During her time with SWSG, Lynne was willing to take on whatever job needed to get done – she believed strongly in our team and was the first person to pitch in when needed. Whenever I felt that something couldn’t be done, Lynne would help me see how we could make it happen. Whenever I felt that the “to do” list would never end, Lynne would remind me to take a pause and chat about my weekend plans. Lynne taught many of us here at SWSG that to do something well is to do it wholeheartedly and to not be afraid of failure.
When asked about Lynne’s contribution to SWSG, another Board Member shared: “If it weren’t for Lynne I would have never known the good work that SWSG does and how I could be a part if that. She has forever changed my life and I am a better woman for knowing and working beside her.”
When I think of Lynne’s legacy at SWSG, it will be that by working with her, we were all reminded daily that a small group of thoughtful citizens can truly change the world. Thank you, Lynne – your time with Strong Women, Strong Girls has meant more to our movement, to women and girls, and to all of us than we can ever express.
-Amy Kingman, Boston Executive Director
Do you have a favorite memory working with Lynne? Share with us below!