Meet Mary Routhieaux, Chief Advancement Officer, Foundation Executive Director
How long have you been in your position? Tell me a bit about your training/previous positions?
I’ve been at Episcopal Homes for 5 years. I have a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Delaware and certification in design thinking and innovation from University of Virginia.
I was a CNA working in nursing homes throughout all of high school and college. Over the last 30 years, I have worked in roles leading marketing, volunteer services, foundations, grants, project management, and research enterprises in healthcare and educational settings. Specifically, I worked a decade at Allina Health where I directed foundations for two regional hospital campuses – one that also reported up to Benedictine Health due to a strong senior care presence. I went on to lead Allina’s corporate-wide foundation, grants enterprise and industry/academic relations in support of centers focused on health system reform and strategic workforce development. In addition, I spent 10 years in similar roles within a large urban school district and at both Minneapolis Community and Hennepin Technical Colleges focused on advancing educational equity, career education and workforce development. Just prior to coming to Episcopal Homes, I was directing academic research and sponsored programs for St. Catherine University. As part of this position, I helped launch and led an innovation center with Benedictine Health and Presbyterian Homes that reignited my passion for senior care and services.
What qualities make a good leader?
Transparency, integrity and follow through. Genuine caring. An open mindset to help embrace change. Creating space for emergent leaders to grow. Strategic thinking, analysis, vision and capacity to inspire/resource plans. Capacity to sell and engage others in a vision.
What are the most important skills you use as a leader?
Analytical, strategic thinking, writing, presentation, sales and financial management skills. Bringing teams together to accomplish results. Engaging community stakeholders, partners, boards and committees to enrich/strengthen mission.
Please share an accomplishment you are especially proud of:
I am proud of our foundation team’s efforts to grow fundraising for Episcopal Homes to the point where we reached nearly $1 million donated per year in each of the last three years. Beyond Episcopal Homes, having led a merger of competing foundations that were operating on a single large healthcare campus – bringing organizations together, finding common ground and building a single structure where all partners could share resources and help the community far more than if they were competing.
Please share a goal(s) for your area for 2022:
My team will be focused on redesigning Episcopal Homes’ website; leveraging the many communications channels added during Covid to strengthen family communications; continuing to launch our new foundation board and committee structure to deepen resident, family, donor and volunteer engagement; and rolling out an estate giving program among residents and their families in support of Episcopal Homes’ mission.
A short sentence or two about you personally:
Personally, I am a new empty nester – Covid delayed this two years as kids didn’t get to go to college! I find great joy being outdoors gardening, hiking and kayaking; playing sports like tennis and hockey; and anything involving home remodeling. Hobbies are all the better when I am spending time with my husband, my two sons, our broader blended family, and/or my seven siblings.