What inspired you to join Bernstein?
Having enjoyed a career in nonprofit management and community development banking, and having recently experienced the global credit crisis in 2009, I was wary when first approached by recruiters in the wealth management industry. After reading some Bernstein research on the tradeoffs of different investment allocation and spending decisions for nonprofits and foundations, I realized there might be an opportunity here to add value in a whole new way for organizations just like the ones where and with which I’d worked for so many years.
What’s the best way for people to put their wealth in perspective?
Everyone gains perspective in a different way. For me, it’s through proximity. I still recall being a 12-year-old girl reading Atticus Finch’s quote from the classic book, To Kill a Mockingbird: “You never really understand a person…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” I’m surrounded by significant wealth on a daily basis, so in order to maintain a balanced perspective and grounding in gratitude for all that I have, I volunteer. I’ve also learned a tremendous amount from clients who have experienced financial success and can now invest in organizations and causes that are dear to them and the wider community. They derive significant value and meaning through their philanthropic work, which I find to be inspiring as well.
What passions do you pursue outside of work?
I have two teenage daughters who keep my husband and me on our toes. We also have a ridiculously spoiled cat. My family and I all love to travel together and prioritize going on family trips each year. For relaxation, I walk…a lot…while listening to every type of audiobook from the classic novels my girls are currently studying in school to the current assignment for my book club. I also sew and quilt, which takes me back to the childhood years I cherished spending time with my grandma, and volunteer on a few nonprofit boards. I very rarely sit still, so I may try to take up yoga or meditation one of these days, just to round it all out a bit.