New women’s programming leader plans to build on EmBe’s success

This paid piece is sponsored by EmBe.

It says something about a program’s effectiveness when every time it’s offered there are more applicants than there are slots to participate.

Even with increasing its Women’s Leadership Program to two cohorts annually in 2022, the demand hasn’t waned.

Today, applications launch for the next cohort, which will meet for seven months beginning in June.

“This is for any leader who has a growth mindset and learns best in community, alongside others,” said Melissa Hiatt, who recently became EmBe’s director of women’s programming.

“It is effective for new leaders or people who have been in leadership for a number of years who desire to learn and grow while building a professional network with other women.”

The opportunity appealed to Heather Clay, a marketing strategy partner at Avera Health, who will complete her time in the program soon.

“I was looking for growth opportunities, both personally and professionally,” she said, adding the program was recommended to her by several former participants.

“I was also looking to make connections with like-minded women in our community. There is power in connections, and there is even more power when you are surrounded by change-makers.”

The program also came at the right time for her Avera colleague, certified specialty pharmacist Dr. Jenifer Wollman. She also was encouraged by a colleague she admires to apply.

“In the last few years, I have been reaching out in our community to make connections and new friendships,” she said. “I didn’t realize at the time that this would be my first steppingstone into an entirely new and vibrant world not only of women supporting each other, but also a committed path of personal and professional growth for me.”

The experience has been nothing short of “life-changing” on multiple levels, both women said.

“The skill set of professional abilities I learned and perfected while in the program have given me the determination and realization of the type of career, person and leader I strive to be,” Clay said.

“On a personal level, I now have 30 amazing women I am blessed to call friends. Each one of them has impacted my life, and I continue to be in awe at how amazing each one of them is.”

Most valuably, she realized her personal strength to take on challenges that come her way.

“The program offers you many avenues for growth – and while each of us chooses our own path, we are all ending with our personal growth,” she said.

Wollman agreed.

“This program has been one of the most life-changing experiences to date. I honestly feel like my world has flipped a complete and very positive ‘180,’” she said. “I learned so much about myself and who I am, what motivates me, what imprisons me or what I allow that takes away my life, and what frees me and what I allow that makes it big and beautiful.”

She’s now moving into a new career role — pharmacist in charge and pharmacy coordinator for Avera’s new Plaza 2 Pharmacy and said the EmBe experience came at a pivotal time.

“I will continue to embrace every leadership opportunity that crosses my path,” Wollman said. “The connections I have made among the women in my class and the people in my community are absolutely priceless. I feel like I’m a part of something so much bigger now. I feel like I can get out in our community and be an instrumental part of change, of renewal, of growth.”

Growing opportunities

In her new role, Hiatt has a vision to create even more paths – beyond the core Women’s Leadership Program and including more programs geared to women at various stages of their personal and professional lives.

Hiatt stumbled into organizational development before it was cool. After graduating with her master’s in marriage and family therapy, and realizing she had no desire to become a licensed therapist, she couldn’t help but bring her family-systems knowledge into the organizations where she worked. Her professional path includes higher education, health care, ministry and leadership consulting. In 2019, she formed Levav Leadership Consulting, specializing in “facilitating courageous cultures by paying attention to the inner lives of leaders,” she said.

“I help people get emotionally healthy, which then leads to healthier organizations.”

At EmBe, her initial focus is on the core Women’s Leadership Program, which will see some adjustments in the coming cohort, including moving up its popular mentorship program.

“The mentorship relationship will now begin in the second month of the program so we’re able to better support the mentor relationships,” she said. “As usual, those relationships can continue beyond the course of the program if so desired.”

Watch for information soon on a mentoring workshop that prospective mentors can attend to learn more.

The Women’s Leadership Program utilizes the CliftonStrengths assessment, and Hiatt plans to bring more attention to the emotional health component of leadership.

“I understand emotional health as the connections between what one is thinking, feeling and doing. You can’t change the way you think or behave without understanding emotion,” she said.

She anticipates using a mix of subject matter experts and panel discussions within the program and incorporating a way to connect with former participants.

For participants such as Clay, that’s key.

“I look to grow in leadership opportunities in my career and by volunteering, but I know that comes with balance,” she said. “Throughout the program, we were given various tools to support the process of creating that balance and from there find the opportunities for areas we want to improve upon in our life. A goal of mine is to continue to grow my portfolio as a public speaker on subjects such as navigating networking, communications and empowerment.”

Hiatt’s vision for women’s programming at EmBe includes new ways to support women such as Clay as her career progresses.

She’s developing two additional tiers, beginning with one for seasoned professionals.

“I envision the second tier supporting people who have been leading for a while and want to increase their skills and have a community of people to learn and grow with,” she said. “Topics might include things like giving engaged feedback, training up new leaders, setting expectations and dealing with the vulnerability it takes to give up control.”

A third program would focus on those who have or are planning to retire but still want to use their time and talents to make a difference.

“So much of our identity gets wrapped up in our work, so as we transition, it’s rediscovering who we are outside of those roles and responsibilities,” Hiatt said. “These women have time to give back and a lot of wisdom, so we want to look at how we can connect them with women in the other two tiers.”

The plan is for both groups to start yet this year, “and I’m looking for some focus groups to help define what those programs will look like,” she added.

To learn more about EmBe’s women’s programming and for details on the next cohort of the Women’s Leadership Program, click here. Applications are due May 8.

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