Meet our Managing Director, Megan!
““The common thread throughout my career has been my passion for leadership; in December 2018, I completed my online masters degree program and earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University.””
What has your past experience taught you that applies in your work with girls leading girls?
Components from my past experience that are applying to my work with Girls Leading Girls today includes dedication to safety, leading with authenticity and youth programming management.
Safety: Over the last 7 years, I have worked for Disney Cruise Line (DCL) in first a middle management and then senior management role. I served as a Youth Activities Manager and Manager Youth Activities for the Youth Activities department. I worked on all four ships in the fleet and managed teams of 80 crewmembers and oversaw daily programming for up to 1600 children. Safety was always at the forefront of every decision and action I took working at sea; not only was it DCL’s most important organizational priority, but I was trained and became an expert in United States Public Health, the vessel sector of the CDC. Safety has and will continue to be a priority in the workplace.
Authenticity: I previously worked as a Program Leader for Challenge Day, mentoring large groups of young people and adults on social and emotional learning across North America. In this role, I learned the power of being my authentic self and how to provide space for others to do the same. I believe being authentic and honest both in the workplace and in day-to-day life are essential to building trust and strong relationships.
Youth Programming Management: In addition to my work at DCL and at Challenge Day, I worked as a Director and Assistant Director for summer camps in California and as a Program Manager for a children's mentoring program in Washington. My passion and experience in youth programming management and processes brings great excitement to my work at GLG.
What are the top 3 things soccer and sports have given you?
1) Perseverance: Playing soccer has taught me to keep going in the face of adversity. Whether the field conditions were rough, it was a tough game or dealing with personal challenges such as an injury, sports have taught me to push through.
2) Community: As a child, I was very introverted and shy. Playing sports allowed me to build trust with my peers and create space for me to open up and for my personality to shine. The power of sports brings individuals once strangers together in a space that builds community over time. Every team I was a part of helped me to feel a part of and less alone and taught me to believe I mattered.
3) Confidence: Soccer allowed me to gain confidence both on and off the field.
What do you want to do in order to make the world better?
I want to continue to empower people to be their best selves in the workplace and in life. As a leader in the different roles I served, I found the best part was working with my team members. Through valuable and authentic conversations, I was able to learn how to best support them and illuminate their strengths. Showing up for my team, by actively listening and being present was and is something I strive for.
How will you use your new role at girls leading girls to further our mission and make an impact?
With my new role at GLG, I am looking forward to building relationships with the staff, coaches, players and their guardians, and the greater GLG community. With my new role, I look forward to using my strengths and experiences to support the current processes and help expand in the future.
In addition, working as a senior officer in the male-dominated maritime industry, I found I would be the only female in most rooms. I discovered my voice and felt empowered and I want to ensure other young girls and women feel the same both on the field and off the field.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Since learning of this saying, I have carried it with me into every role I have served. Whether leading a large meeting to having a one-on-one conversation, I always think about the delivery of what I am going to say or do versus just thinking about the content.
Where are you from and what brought you to the Bay Area?
I was born and raised in Corte Madera, CA. After living out of state and abroad since 2008, I have decided to return to the Bay Area. With over 49 countries traveled, Northern California is still home and a place I love dearly.
What kind of experience do you have in soccer? In GLG? In leadership?
I played recreational soccer from kindergarten to 6th grade and then played travel soccer from 7th to 12th grade. In college and after college, I have continued to play soccer for fun on different adult teams. During the 2016-2017 soccer year, I coached for GLG and absolutely loved it. Leadership has been an integral part of my upbringing and career today. My passion for it began as a young middle school student, when I stood in front of my student body of 400+ campaigning to become a part of school government. In high school I’d arrive early to partake in a 0 period leadership class. It then became a minor in my undergraduate studies and later the focus of my graduate degree.
