BCFS Health and Human Services, part of a global nonprofit organization with locations and programs throughout the world, supports Women’s History Month. Our organization frequently highlights the contributions women have made to contemporary society. We also provided opportunities for some of our staff members to recount the positive influences various women have had on their live. We are sharing some of those stories here:
Karen Thaxton, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, shared her experiences with other women that have shaped her professional and personal life. She mentions mentors including friends and colleagues as well as women she’s never met but admired such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Susan B. Anthony. She says she admires women who broke through barriers to enable others to have their voices heard, including current Vice President Kamala Harris. Karen points to her two twentysomething daughters as the most inspiring and influential women in her life, stating one is a therapist and the other works in biologics, and they’re both strong and committed to making positive change.
Our Executive Director at BCFS Health and Human Services Residential Services Division Headquarters, Sonya Thompson says her inspiration primarily comes from her mentor Elizabeth Guthrie, who challenged her to become a leader and break through self-imposed barriers. Sonya says she also takes inspiration from seeing a female Vice President and the responses to the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg which included younger women and girls embracing Ginsburg’s more famous quotes.
Veronica Villa, Regional Director at BCFS Health and Human Services-Fairfield also supports Ruth Bader Ginsburg as an inspiring voice. She notes the pursuit of the “equal protection clause” and other advocacy that ensure future female voices are heard and respected. Veronica majored in history and studies the U.S. Supreme Court, and recounts Ginsburg’s efforts to improve the quality of life of women in the U.S. and around the world.
