WORCESTER _ The Female Leadership Interest Council, Inc. (FLIC®) recently announced that Kathryn "Kathy" Zingg Hunter, president and CEO of YMCA of Central Massachusetts, has been named to its Advisory Board.
FLIC® is a non-profit organization founded on the principles of female leadership, mentoring and the belief that when you can help someone else succeed, you personally grow and prosper. The Council’s mission is to provide educational instruction to women to assist in developing their capabilities in the business world, which will increase the likelihood that their successes will benefit the community.
"We are so delighted that Kathy has joined our board. She brings a wealth of nonprofit experience and a tremendous history of working to inspire youth," said Deborah Penta, founder of FLIC®. "Kathy has spent her entire career inspiring others and making a difference and she also brings solid leadership skills. We are very pleased that Kathy will be helping to spearhead our Girls Lead collaboration with the YMCA."
Being a member of the FLIC® Advisory Board is just a continuation of Hunter’s lifetime of service to children, young adults and the community. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Hunter attended Springfield College to be a teacher.
"I always enjoyed kids and working at summer camps as a counselor," Hunter said. "One day I went looking on the bulletin board at Springfield College, and there was a job posting for a teen outreach worker at the Springfield YMCA. I went and applied for the job and connected right away with the organization and its mission."
Hunter got that job, and the rest, as she says, is history. After substitute teaching during the days and working nights and on Saturday’s at the "Y," Hunter became a part of the YMCA full-time. Hunter’s love for her work showed, and as she grew into her job, the CEO of the Springfield YMCA gave her more responsibilities.
"I always enjoyed writing press releases and doing promoting and marketing, and no one there liked doing it. The CEO put me in charge of membership and marketing," she said. "I loved doing marketing, and I loved selling the Y’s mission and purpose, it was easy."
In an effort to further her knowledge and help in her career, Hunter went back to school and got her MBA from Western New England College.
"Then a position opened up in Worcester, and in 1987, I was hired as the associate executive director at the Central Community Branch of the YMCA," she said.
Hunter said she has been mentored and inspired by many role models in her life, from her parents to two prior bosses, who have shared a passion for making a difference in peoples’ lives. "I’ve been blessed with amazing supervisors and mentors over the years who have thrown one challenge after another at me. It seems there was a plan, although not intentional," she added.
That plan steadily took her up through the non-profit organization until she became the President and CEO of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts in 2004. "For me, it was impacting lives and instilling values that were so important. There hasn’t been one day in my career that I haven’t been inspired," Hunter said.
It is one of the reasons why Hunter felt FLIC® would be a good fit for her.
"I appreciate the fact that the mission of FLIC® is to help female leaders mentor young women and to help inspire other professional women. I want to learn more about how to help girls too. I have an older and younger brother, three nephews, two sons, and the mentors for the most part in my life have been male," Hunter said. "However, I do remember one woman growing up who was a neighbor. She was a social worker who brought unwed mothers into her home. I remember being struck by how supportive she was and I thought ‘wow, that’s a special woman.' She made a difference in my life and I would like to give back to young women as she did for me. We also serve many girls at the YMCA and supporting them to grow and develop into successful great leaders is also important to me."
Hunter said she is also thrilled to be part of an initiative between the YMCA and FLIC® called the "Girls Lead Program."
"I’m very excited about coming onboard and helping the Girls Lead Program," Hunter said. "It’s nice to be working with a program that involves girls."
For more information on FLIC® or the Girls Lead Program, visit www.femaleleaders.org.
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