She might not have an office to call her own, but Susan Michael is busy at work as the new executive director of the Allen County Community Foundation (ACCF).
In their six-month search for a director, foundation board members interviewed applicants from as far away as Hawaii. Much to their chagrin, their best candidate was right under their noses.
For the past year, Michael had been volunteering with Uniting for Excellence, the new hospital’s capital campaign, where she kept records and was a jack of all trades.
Michael, a former photographer with the Marine Corps, is not a stranger to hard work.
Still, putting herself forward for the executive director’s job made her reach down deep for inspiration.
“I tell people I pulled out my inner Marine,” Michael said. “I pulled the Marine out of the closet, shook it out and said ‘OK, let’s go show them how it’s done.’”
Michael’s determination paid off. Two weeks ago she was awarded the job.
“I had been quiet in the background, helping with the administrative side and I knew the campaign, which was a big boost, but I also showed them that I was more than what they were seeing,” Michael said. “A lot of these people I had been interviewing with showed up with their suits and hair done, but as a volunteer sometimes I would show up in jeans and a T-shirt. They were seeing the hard work I had been doing.”
Being a volunteer proved to be beneficial for not only Michael but the foundation as well.
“It has been a huge help for me, taking over as the executive director, knowing about a lot of this stuff already,” Michael said. “It also helped the foundation because they didn’t have to train someone new,” Michael said.
Michael said she had a substantial amount of leadership training through the Marine Corps and is also involved in the Southeast Kansas Leadership and Faith classes.
A few years ago, after being laid off from her job at Haldex, she returned to school where she took health care administration classes, which helped further qualify her for the position.
“You always hear about this is what should happen, being a volunteer suddenly turned into a job,” Michael said.
ACCF IS a foundation focused on improving the quality of life in Allen County. First on the foundation’s agenda is the new Allen County Hospital being built.
ACCF has been working with the Uniting for Excellence campaign to raise $5.7 million for the new hospital. Of that money, $1 million is needed for the endowment and $4.7 million is to purchase equipment.
“Right now, 80 percent of the ACCF’s focus is directed to the Uniting for Excellence campaign,” Michael said.
