Mike And Alison After Hours: Cindy Parr — The Arc of Howard County
This episode of the Mike And Alison After Hours podcast features Cindy Parr, Executive Director of The Arc of Howard County.
As a podcast that features insightful discussions with experienced business leaders, it was only a matter of time until Mike And Alison After Hours welcomed someone from the nonprofit sector onto the show.
Outside of that one primary difference between for-profit and nonprofit organizations, they are otherwise rather similar in their operational objectives and ongoing professional challenges. That’s why, this week, Mike and Alison spoke with Cindy Parr, Executive Director of The Arc of Howard County.
Don’t forget, Mike and Alison currently have two ongoing giveaways in the works — make sure to give this episode a like, a comment, and a share on social media to enter to win an autographed copy of Andrew Freedman’s new book Thrive. The winner will be announced in June.
Furthermore, if you are a business owner with ten or more employees (or more) Andrew is also offering a free one-hour coaching session with his company SHIFT, a management consulting firm that follows a data-driven approach to workplace excellence.
With that business out of the way, Mike and Alison dove into their interview with Cindy Parr — check out the full video for the complete discussion:
Get To Know Cindy Parr, The Arc of Howard County
Cindy Parr is the Executive Director of The Arc of Howard County. She had led a varied and successful career both in and out of the nonprofit industry, starting in the defense sector and working as a journalist before coming to The Arc of Howard County.
“It’s been a natural progression for me professionally, because my roots are about advocacy, and being a voice for those whose voices need amplification,” says Cindy.
The Arc of Howard County is a parent support group. Founded in 1961, today it is the oldest and largest nonprofit in Howard County, and provides support for over 400 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the area.
“The last six years has been extremely rewarding, and challenging, as we all know because of the pandemic this past year,” says Cindy. “It’s been a very robust six years of change.”
The shift between the for-profit and nonprofit spaces was stark to Cindy. After working so many years with organizations that prioritized growth and profit, joining an organization like The Arc of Howard County exposed her to a completely different culture. It’s far more about a team effort, wherein everyone is of value both for their contributions and their personal stake in the organization’s mission.
In particular, Cindy noted how important listening is in the nonprofit culture. In her position with The Arc of Howard County, she’s seen the value in listening more actively to everyone in the organization, and everyone she works with. It allows her to promote the right ideas, keep everyone engaged, and develop an even stronger team culture.
“People that work in the nonprofit world, they’re motivated very differently,” says Cindy. “It’s about a sense of compassion and purpose — wanting to help other people.”
For the complete discussion with Cindy, make sure to check out the full episode of the Mike And Alison After Hours podcast. Visit The Arc of Howard County at archoward.org.
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