About

My Story

I’ve worked for 30+ years across six different industry sectors: state government, higher education, healthcare, semi-conductor, training and development, financial services. But one thing is has remained constant: my passion for people, and service – especially in the non-profit sector. The truth is, each one of the organizations where I’ve worked was a non or not-for-profit itself-a river authority, a university, a national hospital system. A non-profit leadership development organization.  And a credit union. That kind of variety may sound fickle, but the throughline is clear: I’ve built a long and rewarding career in service to a mission of one kind or another. And it has been fulfilling, challenging, and rewarding in every way. Outside of work, I continue to do my best and show up for my community.  I am grateful for the following positions and distinctions.

Service started early for me.  I was a candy striper at a local hospital, a library volunteer, a Camp Fire girl. These roles exposed me to people, perspectives and stories that I would never have heard otherwise, and I learned the importance of empathy before my career even began. As I progressed in the work world occupying various positions, I was trained in what it means to be a leader through a nationwide network of community and civic leadership development organizations. I learned the values of inclusion, personal responsibility, trusteeship, and collaborative decision-making alongside leaders from all walks of life.  Later, I went on to lead the Leadership Austin Essential program as a volunteer for many years.

Upon retirement of the CEO, I threw my hat in the ring and became the second CEO of the organization. There, I founded the EMERGE program for young professionals, now in its 16th year with more than 800 alumni making a difference every day. Leading a non-profit through the economic downturn of 2009 was a great challenge, but with the support of alumni and a tremendous corps of volunteers and Board members, the organization not only survived, but thrived – reaching goals and audiences on a scale it never had before. The impact of EMERGE ignited deeper passion in me for mentoring young professionals. I created my workshop “The Three C’s: Community, Career and Caring for Yourself and Others” as a direct result.  You’ll find several blog posts here on those topics. 

In 2013, I found the credit union movement, which champions financial health as a social justice issue.  Over time I became a seniormost executive, focusing on people development, strategic relationships, employee and community engagement, social purpose, advocacy, and marketing. I used my skills and deep network of relationships to strengthen the brand and establish collaborative opportunities for positive impact.  Credit unions believe in people not profits. The movement is the perfect fit for my experience and passion for helping others and has afforded me opportunities to develop others not just locally, but at the national and international levels. 

This is my personal blog. Opinions on any page associated with heathermckissick.com are mine alone, not those of my employer or any organization I volunteer to serve.