0625 Ladies Who Lead Dept - FINAL_Layout 1 6 / 4 / 25 11 : 54 AM Page 1 W O M E N I N B I Z my belief to leave the world better than I found it . Women have always had pivotal roles in history and matriarchal cultures . My ancestors taught me that wealth is not financial : Leading It is your health , relationships and spirit . Leading with cultural humility creates an eq - uitable environment to succeed , no matter the path the journey takes . Ladies Janet Goehner - Jacobs Powerful female leaders from all industries Executive Director , Saddler’s Woods share their advice , stories and philosophies Conservation Association ( SWCA ) ON HER PERSON - for success . AL PHILOSOPHY … [ by Chelsea Valcourt ] I believe that having an “ attitude of grati - tude ” can have a pro - The late Ruth Bader - Ginsberg , a lifelong advocate of gender found impact on how equality , once said , “ Women belong in all places where decisions you navigate yourself are being made . It shouldn't be that women are the exception . ” T through any mission For a lot of women , that saying is more than a passing comment : in life . There is always It’s hope for a better future — one where the term “ male - dominated field ” is something to be obsolete and anyone , regardless of gender , can utilize their talents to help grateful for , and that foster a bright future . powers me forward . The following female professionals knew that there would be unique ON HER TOUGHEST CHALLENGES … challenges to speaking up and standing out , and they didn’t back down . They From four people showing up for our very saw their dreams and chased after them with a veracity and dedication that is first cleanup event to today , where we log to be commended . thousands of volunteer hours annually , the challenges have been many . Weather disasters Mari Considine toppling old - growth trees , vandalism , funding Chief Marketing , Communications & Development Officer , crunches — even hate speech for the work Acenda Integrated Health we do — have all been endured and part of HER ADVICE FOR FUTURE FEMALE our journey . These tests have only solidified PROFESSIONALS … SWCA’s sense of purpose and taught us that Don’t wait to feel perfectly ready before going after the protecting the planet begins at home , that opportunity you want . Growth happens outside your building a culture of kindness has never been comfort zone . Stay curious , build your network and always more important , and that in the end , hard be prepared . Know your value and advocate for yourself work always wins . the way you would for someone you believe in . ON WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER … Erica Gordon A good leader listens , leads with empathy and creates Principal , Associated Design Studio space for others to succeed . For women , leadership also ON HER PERSON - means challenging outdated norms and modeling confi - AL PHILOSOPHY … dence without ego . It’s about being inclusive , making decisions with integrity , and Structure creates free - showing that strength and compassion go hand in hand . The best leaders bring dom ; it sounds back - out the best in others by showing up with consistency , authenticity and heart . wards , but it’s the truth . The more or - June DePonte - Sernak ganized we are , the Chief Inclusion Officer , Rafforzare more space we have ON WHAT DRIVES HER … to be creative , re - I am driven to help women find their purpose while navi - sponsive and spon - gating through diverse and changing times . Creating a taneous — whether foundation of lifelong learning by sharing the stories of that means reworking a layout or taking a the icons that came before us fuels my passion for week out to unplug . I don’t do chaos disguised education , history and cultural anthropology . as genius : I do clear systems , thoughtful ON HER TOUGHEST CHALLENGE … design and a calendar that makes room for The hardest challenge is the cultural and societal expec - both deadlines and a social life . tations of being a woman in leadership . As a multicultural ON HER GOALS … leader , my values and ethics come from my heritage . My I’m building a business that can thrive without Native American name is " Charging Spirit , " which reflects 10 | SOUTH JERSEY BIZ | VOLUME 15 ISSUE 6 | SouthJerseyBiz.net