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Resiliency

10/20/2020

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Of all the Zooms we’ve attended over the last several months, one is a standout for members of the El Paso Women’s Fund board. It was the evening of Aug. 24 when we met with the fall 2020 recipients of our scholarship program to talk about the super power of resilience in an increasingly complicated world. Our guest speaker, Nicole Ferrini, the chief resilience officer for the City of El Paso, encouraged persistence and confidence in goal setting.

“Don’t wait to be ‘qualified,’ to be certified,” before taking on new challenges, she told the group. Too frequently women hesitate to put themselves forward for positions they are capable of, but may think they need outside approval to pursue. Participants then shared their own stories of resilience in smaller breakout groups and learned more about how to face adversity with hope. We talked of facing obstacles like illness, childcare issues, mental health and more.

While the scholarships are modest and by no means cover all the costs of education and childcare recipients need, WFEP board members learned that even a little bit of aid meant a lot when it is coming from women encouraging other women.  Twenty four applicants received scholarships from the Womens Fund of El Paso in amounts ranging from $250 to $1,500. In all, WFEP awarded $16,400 in scholarships for the fall semester to help cover financial gaps in their pursuit of college degrees or technical training. “It means so much that the El Paso Women’s fund is investing in my success,’ one participant said. Many attendees said they feel special to be part of an organization where women are empowering other women and look forward to the day when they can give back to the community themselves.

​Board members chose a theme of resilience for the online meeting in response to the added pressures affecting us all with the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, if you read our blog post to get to know some of our scholarship recipients you’ll see that they are already fiercely determined to complete their education and bring a better life to themselves and their families. Now they move forward knowing the board members of the El Paso Women’s Fund, along with all of our dedicated donors and volunteers, are cheering them on to the finish line.  
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Welcome new board members!

10/6/2020

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​We are happy to welcome the four newest board members to the Women’s Fund of El Paso family: Michelle Luevano, Maria Garvin, Jackie Butler and Cheri Dorsey. These women have excelled as community leaders within their respective fields and we know they will bring great energy and ideas to the organization. Learn more about them below:
 
Michelle Luevano is an Outreach Analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-El Paso. She uses her knowledge, communication skills, and connections in the community to communicate the mission, vision, and critical work of the Federal Reserve. She works to provide first hand feedback from businesses across various industry’s to the Federal Reserve to help guide decisions regarding the economy and monetary policy. 
 
Prior to joining the Federal Bank of Dallas – El Paso, Michelle was the Project Director for the Minority Women’s Enterprise Diversity Center (MWEDC), the Hispanic Chamber’s newest technical assistance center, and maintained her role as the Chamber’s Advocacy Director. She created programing aimed at empowering minority owned women across the country to embrace their true economic potential through starting and growing their businesses.
 
Michelle graduated from Santa Clara University in June of 2012 with a B.S. of Political Science and earned her Masters of Business Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2014. In addition to her role on the Women’s Fund of El Paso Board of Directors, she also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence (CASFV).
 
Maria Garvin currently serves as the Assistant Chief Financial Officer (ACFO) at Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare in El Paso, Texas, a part of HCA Healthcare/St. David’s Healthcare Partnership. She is an energetic business professional with over 18 years of experience and a proven record of professional growth. She joined the HCA Healthcare/St. David’s Healthcare Partnership family in Austin, Texas, in 2002 as a staff accountant. Her drive and expertise provided opportunities to serve in other positions, including Financial Analyst, Accounting Manager and Controller. In 2018, she became the ACFO at Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare.
 
Maria completed her Masters of Business Administration from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, in 2006, where she graduated with honors and received a nomination for the Presidential Scholar Award.
 
One of Maria’s top passions is giving back to her community by volunteering. She has volunteered with various causes and organizations, including the American Heart Association, Salvation Army, Humane Society, Meals on Wheels, Faith in Action, and Austin City Limits Music Festival, to name a few. In recognition of her commitment to community, Maria received The President’s Youth Service Award signed by former President Clinton in 1995 in recognition of outstanding community service. Maria enjoys making jewelry, running and lounging by the pool and continues to follow her passion for volunteering and giving back to the community.
 
Jackie Butler is the Senior Director of Operations at the Medical Center of the Americas (MCA) Foundation. Prior to joining the MCA Foundation, Jackie served as the vice president of government relations at the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, where she was responsible for managing the chamber's advocacy and legislative efforts. She also planned and executed large events for the business community, as well as community and economic development initiatives such as intercity visits to San Diego, California and Nashville, Tennessee.
 
In her current role, Jackie manages the MCA’s marketing and outreach efforts, workforce development initiatives, manages events, and oversees grants development efforts. She also serves as Director, U.S. for BIO El Paso-Juarez, a non-profit organization representing the regional medical device manufacturing industry. Jackie’s passion is finding and creating opportunities for El Paso’s growth in the areas of healthcare, innovation, advanced manufacturing, and medtech.
 
Jackie is a native of El Paso and holds an MBA, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at El Paso. She received her undergraduate degree in political science from Vassar College.
Jackie values community service and currently serves as a Commissioner for the El Paso County Emergency Services District #2.
 
Cheri Dorsey is the Commercial Security Sales Manager for Johnson Controls, Rio Grande and Las Vegas regions.  She manages a team of account executives developing safety and security solutions for local businesses throughout New Mexico, West Texas and Southern Nevada to include video surveillance, intrusion detection and fire alarm monitoring.
 
Cheri grew up in El Paso and graduated from UTEP with an MBA in General Management and a BS in Chemistry.  She previously worked for El Paso Water Utilities and Levi Strauss, and later moved into sales. 
 
Cheri is married and has four cats she loves dearly. She loves shopping, likes to collect Catrinas and enjoys estate sales. Cheri studies wine regions for varietals and history along with her husband, and focuses their travel on experiencing both.
 
She is a current member and Past President of Executive Forum, and has in the past served on several boards appointed by City Council to include Parks and Recreation, as well as Bond Oversight. Cheri is proud to live in a historic district and is very active in its support.
 
 

Thank you all for being part of the team!
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Scholar Recipient Testimonial

7/22/2020

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Ariadne Reveles remembers the exact moment when she learned she received scholarship from the Women’s Fund of El Paso. The UTEP industrial and systems engineering student says it was the moment she realized hard work truly does pay off.

 “The Women’s Fund of El Paso has helped me in so many ways. It has lifted a huge financial burden off my shoulders. I have been able to work two jobs instead of three, allowing me to dedicate more time to my studies and my community. It has also pushed me even more to work harder towards my career goals of becoming the first woman engineer in my family,” she wrote in her 2020 essay.

This summer Reveles was awarded a renewal scholarship for Fall 2020. She was one of 21 applicants who received scholarships from the Womens Fund of El Paso in amounts ranging from $250 to $1,500. In all, WFEP awarded $14,600 in scholarships for the fall semester to help El Paso women cover financial gaps in their pursuit of college degrees or technical training.

The amounts awarded offer support for things ranging from books and tuition to childcare and school supplies. But scholarship recipients also tell us that just knowing the Women’s Fund of El Paso is on their side offers encouragement in dark times.

Emily Mata  is a sophomore studying civil engineering at UTEP. She will be the first in her family to graduate college, but she is often asked why she would waste her time on school instead of going right into the workforce.
 
“Becoming a scholar for the Women’s Fund Scholarship will be an honor for my family and a tremendous motivator to continue my career. I want to THANK the Women’s Fund of El Paso organization for bringing such opportunities to women like myself,” she wrote.
 
For Norma Orozco, a scholarship helps her transition after being laid off from her previous career working for the city library for 18 years.  Now she is studying medical coding and billing at Western Technical College.
“Once I am back on my feet financially I would like to donate to the Women’s Fund of El Paso as a token of appreciation,” Orozco wrote. “This, in turn, could help someone else who reaches out to your group. Perhaps someone like me, a woman who dedicated herself to providing for her family and decades later is finally taking steps to invest in her educational goals during uncertain times.”
 
For everyone, education is the key to not only improving their lives, but also is expected to have a ripple effect to help those around them.

Jessica Murillo is a single mother who takes the bus from Tornillo to UTEP where she is studying to become a science teacher.
 
 “I would like to influence my students to look for a better quality of life,” she wrote.
 
Health issues sidelined Yvette Landeros for years from pursuing her degree in business management at Park University. She is a single mother of four children and works full time. She is focused on finishing her last five classes and become the first in her family to graduate college.
 “I am determined to finish school so that my children can have a better future. I want to show my children that if I can graduate from college then the sky is the limit for them,” she wrote.
 
While each scholarship recipient has a compelling story, one of the most profound this year may be that of Bianca Ruida, a nursing student with the Texas Tech Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing. She wrote an update after receiving funds to help with online training guides in the spring semester.
 
“The Women's fund of El Paso scholarship was an incredible help this last semester. I was able to afford the books and online access that are required. The previous semester I was very lost and unprepared. I was privileged to have received this reward and will forever be grateful. It came at a time that I needed it most,” she wrote.
Ruida explained that due to the lockdown in the spring semester over the pandemic, nursing students were given the option of continuing with their clinical studies or put their semester on hold.
 
“I chose to continue my degree and went to the hospitals in order to help my community as much as I could. There was a lot of fear in many of us and my fear was bringing it home to my kids,” she wrote. “Once I saw COVID patients and what it does to them, I knew this was my calling. I knew that this was the reason it took me so long to get here. I was not afraid to be a part of this pandemic and I was even more eager to finish my degree and volunteer to be on the front lines.  
 
Rueda said there is some talk that the school may graduate nurses early to help fulfill demand on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. If so, she said she is ready to serve.

“I am proud to have chosen the career I did, and I will do everything it takes to continue to help during this time,” she said.

Learn more about how you can support scholarships for El Paso women here.
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20 Questions with Kate Gannon

8/8/2018

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  • Where’s your favorite place to take an out-of-town guest? Ardovino's Desert Crossing, which offers a bit of history, great views and a quick drive to New Mexico.
  • When do you find yourself singing? When I'm stressed, when I'm happy and when I'm performing with my Irish band.
  • What paper that you’ve written are you most proud of? My thesis for my MFA in creative writing.
  • If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be? Nora Ephron, particularly if she's doing the cooking, too.
  • Who is the funniest person you know? My husband
  • Would you rather win an Olympic medal, an Academy Award or the Nobel Peace prize? A Pulitzer
  • If you could ask the President one question, what would it be? Can you pass me that bottle of wine?
  • What’s your favorite time of day? Late afternoon
  • What’s your favorite kind of sandwich? Italian sub from Boston
  • If you suddenly became a master at woodworking, what would you make? Bookshelves
  • What website do you visit most often? Borderzine.com, because I'm the content editor.
  • What is special about the place you grew up? Woods and ponds and a bandstand in the town center.
  • What is something you will NEVER do again? Trust a Hatch chile farmer who says "Hey, try this. It's not hot at all".
  • What food is delicious but a pain to eat? Pistachios
  • Where are some unusual places you’ve been? Marshall Islands, Natal, Brazil
  • What’s the most expensive thing you’ve broken? Nothing that mattered or couldn't be replaced.
  • What’s the most interesting building you’ve ever seen or been in? A beehive hut in Ireland.
  • What game have you spent the most hours playing? Pub trivia.
  • If you could have an all-expenses paid trip to see any famous world monument, which monument would you choose? The Library of Alexandria
  • What languages do you wish you could speak? Portuguese, Irish, Mandarin, Latin
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20 Questions with Vanessa Aguilar

6/27/2018

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​How many days could you last in solitary confinement? How would you do it? I think I would get a little stir crazy after 5 days. In the rare moments I have to myself I enjoy arts & crafts, cleaning/reorganizing my place and listening to music.
 
Do you save old greeting cards and letters? Throw them away? I save them. I usually save cards on my refrigerator for a week or two and if they are really beautiful or have a sweet/sentimental message, I keep them in a memory box that I occasionally go through for inspiration or a quick pick-me-up.
 

What’s some insider knowledge that only people in your line of work have? There is no one right answer! That is one of the most exciting and terrifying parts about marketing.
 
What’s the worst hairstyle you’ve ever had? I unintentionally got a shmullet…twice!
 
What life skills are rarely taught but extremely useful? Networking! Networking can be scary but it is so important for your professional and personal growth.
 

What movie or book do you know the most quotes from? The Princess Bride
 
What’s the smartest thing you’ve seen an animal do? My cat can guess which cup a ball is in after you mix it up with other cups. She’s a genius.
 
Who in your life has the best / worst luck? I don’t really believe in luck. I know there are chance circumstances but when I think of those who could be considered lucky or unlucky, it is pretty obvious that they have played active roles in their situations. To credit luck would take away from their efforts or lack thereof.
 
What trend are you tired of? Ripped jeans, snapchat filters and the Kardashians
 
What’s the weirdest crush you’ve had? My first crush was on David Bowie. His character Jared in Labyrinth was so dreamy!
 

Who is the most creative person you know? I’ve been blessed to work with so many creative people. I can’t think of just one.
 

What elements of pop culture will be forever tied in your mind to your childhood? Hyper color t-shirts and jelly sandals…Did I just age myself?
 
What would be the most amazing adventure to go on? In the past few years, I have developed an adoration for sloths. That being the case, a trip to the sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica is definitely on my bucket list.
 
Who in your life is the worst at using technology? Are you trying to get me in trouble? I plead the 5th!
 
What was the biggest realization you had about yourself? I’ve got this, whatever it is. I’ve reached a point in my professional career and in some respects my personal life that I have been presented with enough situations where I thought, “This it! This is where it all falls apart.” Each time I have come out on the other end…not necessarily unscathed but I figured it out.   
 
What job doesn’t exist now but will exist in the future? Social engagement coach to teach people how to interact with each other offline.
 
What’s the cutest thing you can imagine? Something so cute it’s almost painful. Baby sloths
 
What’s the worst thing you ate from a fast food restaurant? I’m seriously afraid to even think about it but I’m sure it was at Taco Bell. Lol!
 
What was the most amazing physical feat you’ve managed to pull off? I repelled off the Mills building. It was awesome but I never want to do it again.
 

What values are most important to you? Authenticity, empathy, kindness, and humor
 
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20 Questions with Laurie Banitch

6/6/2018

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  • What weird food combinations do you really enjoy? Tzatziki + Valetina hot sauce on any protein!
  • What movie can you watch over and over without ever getting tired of? The Birdcage​
  • What’s something that will always be in fashion, no matter how much time passes? Black leather jacket..
  • What food have you never eaten but would really like to try? I think I've tried almost everything I actually want to try...
  • What mythical creature do you wish actually existed? Do Minions count as mythical creatures?
  • What TV show character would it be the most fun to change places with for a week? Supergirl!
  • If you were moving to another country, but could only pack one carry-on sized bag, what would you pack? My favorite jeans, leather jacket, sneakers. 
  • If you were a ghost and could possess people, what would you make them do? Dance!
  • What’s the most ridiculous thing you have bought? Child-sized Christmas / Storm Trooper pajamas... for me.
  • What was the last song you sung along to? Soul Love by David Bowie
  • What really needs to be modernized? The way we exercise. There has to be a better way.
  • What animal or plant do you think should be renamed? Gerbil. Not a fan of that name.  
  • What’s the funniest word in the English language? Bamboozle!
  • What are some of the best vacations you’ve had? The ones that include exploring cities and eating amazing food.
  • What job do you think you’d be really good at? Food critic. I can talk about food ad nauseum.
  • What would be your first question after waking up from being cryogenic-ally frozen for 100 years? What's for dinner?
  • What is something that is considered a luxury, but you don’t think you could live without? Gourmet coffee.
  • What’s the best single day on the calendar? December 25th - there's a certain romance about Christmas. You make time to enjoy each moment with your family, friends, and loved ones. Plus, there's gift-giving and Christmas music!
  • What’s the best way a person can spend their time? Not staring at their phone... enjoying the scenery and talking to people!
  • What is the luckiest thing that has happened to you? My snap decision to move home to El Paso. It's given me clarity in terms of what I want out of life. 
  • What’s the worst thing you’ve eaten out of politeness? Probably some well-intentioned casserole that I've since scrubbed from my memory.
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20 Questions with Vanessa Leon

5/23/2018

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  • What’s the most frustrating product you own? The Nest Thermostat
  • What food do you crave most often? Tacos
  • Are you a morning person or a night owl? Morning person.
  • What should they teach in high school but don’t? How to fill out your W-2 form correctly.
  • What are some small things that make your day better? Receiving text messages from my husband.
  • What are you reading currently? The Female Persuasion  
  • Would you rather live for a week in the past or the future? Future
  • What’s your favorite season? Fall
  • What is your favorite movie quote? 'You're Killin' Me, Smalls!'
  • What’s your favorite hobby to do alone? Read
  • Would you rather spend five days exploring Disney or New York City? New York
  • Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you? Doc
  • What sport did you play growing up? Orchestra 
  • What easy thing do you most often screw up? Opening up a wine bottle.
  • Where would you want to retire to? It’s a tie between Santa Fe, NM and San Francisco, CA
  • Who’s your go to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to? Fleetwood Mac
  • What’s the best single day on the calendar? November 1st (my wedding anniversary)
  • What song or artist do you like but rarely admit to liking? Kacey Musgraves
  • What’s the closest thing to real magic? Southwest sunsets.
  • Do you believe in second chances? Depends on the situation. 
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20 Questions with Tracy Yellen

5/9/2018

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  • Which celebrity chef would you most like to fix you a meal? Any! Cooking is NOT one of my strengths.
  • What is the best piece of advice you’ve received? When you don’t know the answer to something, just say so!
  • If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time? Read and binge watch TV.
  • Cake or pie? Ice cream.
  • Using one word, how would you describe your family? Mi corazon.
  • What has been your favorite family vacation? Fortunately so many! (Cuba, Israel, Japan, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Alaska)
  • Who would play you in a movie of your life? Jodie Foster?  
  • What’s your favorite childhood book? Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends and all the Frog and Toad books.
  • If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be? Eleanor Roosevelt
  • If magic was real, what spell would you try to learn first? To fly. 
  • When was the last time you slept more than nine hours? Spring Break!
  • What’s the most recent show you’ve binge watched? Seven Seconds
  • What’s your good luck charm? Luck?
  • What topic could you spend hours talking about? Basketball and politics.
  • What job doesn’t exist now but will exist in the future? Something Elon Musk creates (eg. commercial space pilot).
  • What’s the most amazing place in nature you’ve been? Mt. Kilimanjaro
  • What skill would you like to master? Eating healthy.
  • How do you relax after a hard day of work? Yoga
  • What’s the most interesting piece of art you’ve seen? The first time I saw the Impressionists at The Met.
  • Why did you decide to do the work you are doing now? To work with great people to improve our great region.
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20 Questions with Azuri Gonzalez

4/25/2018

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  • What was the best news you ever received? Recently that I was selected as a recipient of the UT Regent’s Outstanding Employee Award
  • Who was your favorite teacher? Why? Ms. Ramos – 4th grade. She appreciated a “bossy” girl in her bilingual class who was to be valued instead of put down.
  • What gets you fired up?  Coffee! Or a conversation about how higher education institutions can make a difference!
  • What one thing do you really want but can’t afford? A live-in/travel nanny and chef.
  • What word do you always misspell? I don’t misspell words, autocorrect does.  
  • What have you created that you are most proud of? Personally, two full-sized human beings, at work - a work environment for students to learn and further develop into who they are meant to be.
  • When you are old, what do you think children will ask you to tell stories about? About the times I would allow them to win a cake in a cake walk, then would give them a fork and tell them have at it. Once they finished, I would tell them to toss the rest of the cake because it would not be going home with us.
  • If your job gave you a surprise three day paid break to rest and recuperate, what would you do with those three days? Rest and recuperate (and read a book on how not to be sarcastic).
  • Who do you go out of your way to be nice to? God….at least I try.
  • Which celebrity do you think is the most down to earth? George Clooney
  • When was the last time you got to tell someone “I told you so.”? I have kids, when do you think?
  • What’s the funniest actual name you’ve heard of someone having?  Me no make fun of names :D
  • What was cool when you were young but isn’t cool now? I am afraid that I may still live in a bubble and I have not yet discovered what is no longer cool….
  • How do you get in the way of your own success?  I complicate things!
  • What job would you be terrible at? Air traffic control.
  • What goal do you think humanity is not focused enough on achieving? Understanding one another…giving each other a true look and the gift of empathy…..
  • What is your favorite family tradition?  That we hold Christmas on a different day when ALL of us can make it and be together the entire day.
  • Would you rather be the most popular kid in school or the smartest kid in school? I was the smartest. 
  • What is the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever seen? I see it every day (or every other day) when my kids show kindness to one another and me.
  • What is the most annoying question that people ask you? Unnecessary “follow-up” questions to my requests: “Can you hand me my purse?” – Question: “which purse?” (can you tell I have kids???)
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20 Questions with Bonnie Escobar

4/11/2018

2 Comments

 
  • What bit of trivia do you know that is very interesting but also very useless? That in 1800's there were more men knitters in Ireland and they had a union.
  • What’s something that everyone, absolutely everyone, in the entire world can agree on? Peace.
  • What animal would be the most terrifying if it could speak? Cat.
  • What habit do you have now that you wish you started much earlier? Walking.
  • What’s your funniest story involving a car? I learned how to drive a "Stick shift" by trial and fire.  My mom handed me the keys and I worked my way of Mesa with all the hills.  I learned fast.
  • If you built a themed hotel, what would the theme be and what would the rooms look like? I would build a hacienda type hotel with lots of Mexican and Native American art.
  • What was one of the most interesting concerts you’ve been to? Concerts and music are a passion but I would say the Moody Blues, those guys can still Rock and Move despite their age.  It was awesome.
  • What’s your secret talent? I can tie cherry stems into a knot with my tongue.
  • What’s something you like to do the old-fashioned way? Keep my calendar in a book, I can't do the phone thing.
  • What was the best book or series that you’ve ever read?  Most anything by Isabel Allende.
  • What do you wish you knew more about? Eastern cultures.
  • What do you hope your last words will be? No regrets.
  • Have you ever saved someone’s life? No.
  • What’s the most overrated product out on the market? I-phones.
  • What’s the best thing you got from your parents? The ability to take risks and having little fear about doing things on my own.  The other is independence, not afraid to do things on my own.
  • In your group of friends, what role do you play? Nurturer.
  • Would you rather be the best player on a horrible team or the worst player on a great team? Probably the worst player on a great team.  However, I define great team by the leadership and the character of its members, not the win-loss column.
  • Who’s your celebrity crush? John Cusack
  • What trait do you like the most about yourself? Risk taker.
  • Do you ever count your steps when you walk? No, that's why I have a FitBit.​
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