In 2018, United Way for Greater Austin began a year-long effort to create a city-wide 2-Generation strategic plan. As the lead consultant, Cathy partnered with the Family Pathways Coordinator to conceptualize and create an actionable interdisciplinary plan. Over the year, she facilitated sessions with nonprofit, government, and community leaders -many of them new partners, who became deeply invested in the work. She synthesized community member’s ideas into a Roadmap to put families on a pathway from poverty to economic stability.   

 

2019 brought a change in United Way leadership just as implementation of the plan was getting off the ground. Cathy worked with new leadership to convert the strategic plan into a detailed work plan for the team with action steps, names, dates, and other key details. 

 

She continued to support operationalization of the plan for 4 years in a variety of ways:

• Project management of key portions of the plan 

• Transitioning the Advisory Group into a Leadership Group responsible for plan implementation

• Launching and leading work groups

• Co-writing successful funding proposals   

• Problem solving through implementation changes, including those caused by COVID

 

As we strive to solve complex problems, having Cathy on our team was instrumental. She supported us to take every unexpected hurdle in stride.

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Cathy goes above and beyond to help you succeed and brings analytical thinking and rigor to any project she is part of.

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​She is an excellent communicator and strategic partner.

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She sets high standards for herself and the people she works with.

 

Cathy is very passionate and really cares about creating systems that work better for families.

 

Her values drive her work.

 

Paola Silvestre-Porras

Social Impact Manager, U.S.

Indeed

Former Director Family Pathways

United Way for Greater Austin

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Cathy continues to support other organizations to operationalize their strategic plans and vision.

 

She helped the Sustainable Food Center shift their focus from programmatic to systems-level.  The project required ongoing coaching of leaders as well as training to support the entire staff to embrace a systems change mindset.  

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Cathy was recruited to support the Success by 6 Williamson County Coalition operationalize their strategic plan. She launched 4 work groups and helped them define their first steps for year 1 of their collaboration. 

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