Influential SHE Podcast

Her success in authentically connecting with others is grounded in her belief that truly being listened to and heard is a basic need for all people.  She shares how practicing connection based on reciprocal respect can lead to amazing new opportunities.  Shirley also unabashedly seeks connections with others, telling her story of “out -of-the-blue” reaching out to former Secretary of Education Dr. Melody Schopp, now Co-Owner of Influential She, to secure a summer internship in South Dakota!  

Shirley Vargas, ED, L. D. is a social-justice minded educator of over 12 years who has focused on disrupting antiquated systems of education through immersive learning experiences, courageous leadership and strategic partnerships.  Her passion is to reimagine an equitable education system designed for each learner to grow, thrive and lead.  Shirley possesses a multitude of experiences leading and supporting positive change efforts within rural and urban schools and communities.

Presently Shirley is the Senior Administrator in the Office of Coordinated School and District Support for the Nebraska Department of Education in Lincoln, NE.  She leads and coordinates school improvement providing technical assistance for teaching, learning, assessment and special education within identified schools.  Along with many other education enhancement leadership roles, her experience includes being an Education Consultant within the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, MA, along with being Director of School Renewal for the Office of School Superintendent, NYCDOE, in Brooklyn, NY.  The genesis of her career trajectory, was being a Spanish and ESL teacher and coordinator for six years in New York.

Shirley Vargas has a Doctor of Educational Leadership (Ed,L.D.) from Harvard University.  She achieved both a Masters of Science and Masters of Arts at Baruch College in New York.  Her B.A in Spanish Language and Literature was from Hunter College, also in New York.  From June through August 2017, Shirley gained state-level experience by working alongside Secretary Dr. Melody Schopp at the South Dakota Department of Education by being a Gordon Ambach Fellowship Recipient.

The way Christine lives her life exemplifies this practice in how she uses deep listening to develop relationship trust that elicits thinking in others. She talks about the wholeness of voice sharing “I think that we cannot separate our voice from our presence and our interests.  Whoever we are is what we communicate.”  Christine will inspire all to find their own most influential voice by following authentic passions that give rise to honest sincerity, resulting in others truly being able to hear and positively respond.

Ms. Hamilton is a co-founder, investor and member of the Board of Directors for SAB Biotherapeutics.  An executive with more than two decades of experience in business creation, ownership and management, she is the owner and Managing Partner of Christiansen Land and Cattle, Ltd., a legacy diversified farming and ranching enterprise. Hamilton also co-owns Dakota Packing, Inc., a wholesale company based in Las Vegas, Nevada that provides high-end, “center of the plate” protein to a national customer base.

In 2018, Ms. Hamilton was recognized for her exemplary service as a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank (Ninth District) after serving two three-year terms including two years as Audit Committee Chair.  Currently she serves as a board member  for the publicly-traded Titan Machinery, the Padlock Ranch SD News Watch and the Meadowlark Institute. Christine was a governor-appointed commissioner for SD Game Fish & Parks and has served on boards of directors for many civic, state and cultural organizations.

She is a 2016 inductee to the South Dakota Hall of Fame - one of the most distinctive honors bestowed on a South Dakotan - for her vast contributions to the state and agribusiness.  Hamilton and her family formed the Matson Halverson Christiansen Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to improve the quality of life and create opportunities for growth and enterprise development in South Dakota.

Christine holds a philosophy degree from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts and an MBA in entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona.  She and her husband Eddie reside on the ranch at the edge of the Missouri river in South Dakota.  They have four daughters and eight grandchildren.

This episode highlights the High Leverage Practice of Possibility with Abby Javurek, a woman who exemplifies what it means to be a “possibilist”.  She shares a compelling story about believing in herself and saying yes to new possibilities in both good and challenging life circumstances.  Abby will inspire all to quickly flip “it can’t be done” thinking on its head and instead look at things in an innovative way.

Abby Javurek is the Vice President of Educational Solutions for the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), informing a future in which all kids succeed.  Previously the Senior Director of Large Scale Solutions for NWEA, she is a national advocate for meaningful and equitable education assessment.  Her experience includes being Division Director of Accountability Systems for the South Dakota Department of Education.  She was a national leader with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Executive Committee, including being Chair.

She has additional experience in gender-equity, diversity, and culturally responsive education. Her background includes being an adjunct professor, research analyst, and institutional researcher.  She is widely published and sought after as an experienced presenter on the national stage.  In the midst of all of her accomplishments, her top role is being a mom.

Abby holds a master of science in Industrial Engineering, a program focused on large scale systems thinking and systems improvement, a graduate certificate in Systems Engineering, and a master of arts in Sociology, all from New Mexico State University.  Abby expects completion of her doctorate in Political Science/Public Policy from the University of South Dakota in 2020.

This episode features Teresa Parker highlighting the High Leverage Practice of Bio You.  She talks about the interconnected body, and delicate dance between holding on and letting go to find balance. She sees so many women stressed to get everything done, many times trying to make other people happy rather than focusing on themselves first.  As a yoga practitioner, she encourages all to create space.  Space between our thoughts, space between our inhale and exhale, and space in our body to promote calm energy.  All to increase the positive energy and focus needed to make your influential way in the world.   

For the past 35 years, Teresa Parker has lived the quote "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life."  Her foundation was established by earning a General Science Associate’s Degree from Cerro Cosa Community College in California with a focus in biology.  As a certified yoga practitioner, personal trainer and group exercise instructor, she daily shares her purpose and passion for whole body health at Solace Experience in Rapid City, SD.

 As a Wellness Consultant her entrepreneurial spirit shines.  She finds making a difference in the "sick-care" industry extremely rewarding, and also challenging.   Her reputation and expertise have led to business partnerships with traditional health providers and clinics, implementing customized wellness solutions using science-based nutritional interventions, genetic testing and lifestyle medicine.

This episode features the High Leverage Practice of Story with Dr. Joan Wink. As we talk with Joan about the power of story, she shares, “No one really wants to hear our theory, hear our philosophy or see our data, no one would remember it anyway, no one cares. But if we can connect our abstract thoughts to a story, we don’t forget.”  Everything starts with a story, stories powerfully connect us to others and they hold the power to trigger imagination and empathy. Joan embraces how being a story-teller has helped her become braver and more honest.  

Joan Wink is a national and international consultant, writer and speaker. Her most recent book, The Power of Story, links libraries and literacies through the power of story, both oral and written.  She has published widely in scholarly journals and is the author of Critical Pedagogy:  Notes from the Real World (4 editions), A Vision of Vygotsky with LeAnn Putney and Teaching Passionately:  What’s Love Got to Do with It? With Dawn Wink.

Joan Wink is a professor emerita at California State University, Stanislaus.  In addition, Joan has been an adjunct professor at Black Hills State University, South Dakota State University, and The College of New Jersey in Mallorca, Spain.  She began a six-year term to the South Dakota Board of Regents in April 2017.

Throughout her career, she has focused on languages, literacy, and learning in pluralistic contexts.  Joan taught Spanish, English, reading, language arts in junior and senior high school in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, and California..  She directed federal grants and was the bilingual/ESL/migrant education coordinator in California.

Dr. Wink completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M, two masters’ degrees in Educational Foundations/Bilingual from the University of Arizona and a Spanish/English undergraduate degree from Yankton College, SD.

Joan can be found at www.joanwink.com and blogs at Wink World, http;://www.joanwink.com/wink-world/

This episode features Tracy McArdle, wine expert and enthusiast, sharing how she lived the High Leverage Practice of “As If” and then realized her dream career. Too many times we wait and wait and wait for permission – to speak, to act, to grow.  This exciting practice is the ability to act as if where you are headed has already been realized. Tracy’s enthusiastic story of her journey from collegiate golfer in the Windy City to general manager for a Napa winery will inspire all to author their own destiny!

As General Manager of The Good Life Wine Collective in California’s Napa Valley, McArdle oversees operations and human resources for the family-owned winery’s three labels, Handwritten Wines, Jessup Cellars, and Humanitas Wines.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, McArdle attended the University of Illinois at Chicago with a focus on Information Decision Sciences and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. She also played golf for the University of Central Florida.  Following her collegiate years, McArdle worked in Chicago’s financial industry for eights years as a liaison between technology and business management. This was also the time when she got the wine bug, which eventually drove her west in 2008 to California wine country to work for Jessup Cellars.

Over the past ten years, McArdle rose quickly through the company ranks and was named General Manager in 2016. She has worked closely with the family owners on the strategic growth and management of The Good Life Wine Collective.

Dr. Jane Murray is a family medicine physician and certified expert in functional medicine.  She digs into the science of how amazing the human body is, and how so many intricate interacting systems talk to each other and work together to create body balance.  This balance is directly related to having the zest and energy to be influential, sharing “When I think about the journey for women to find themselves, their leadership, their true calling, body balance matters.  It is really difficult to be in the world as a leader, as a trailblazer, as someone that fulfills their true potential if the mind, body and spirit are not in balance.”  Dr. Jane inspires all to “take their bodies back” through solid understanding of the toll exacted on a body, and a lived life, when not practicing self-care and self-love.

Dr, Jane Murray has dedicated her career to advancing Western medicine by increasing knowledge, addressing “root causes” of health issues and integrating methods of care that are essential for well-being.  As a family medicine physician she is an educator, mentor, published author and respected national speaker.  She has been a leader in transforming healthcare, publishing the book, Be the Change - Transforming Health Care from the Inside Out.  Additionally she was Chair and founding member of Women in Balance, a national non-profit to empower women to take charge of their hormone health.  Presently she has a consultative practice in Overland Park, KS, offering specialty consults, and comprehensive, personalized, therapeutic programming to prevent and reverse early cognitive decline.

Dr. Murray earned her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles, completed her residency at Santa Monica Hospital, served as Director of Education for the American Academy of Family Physicians from 1986-1991, and as University of Kansas Medical Center’s Chair of the Department of Family Medicine from 1991-1998 when she co-found Sastun Center for Integrative Health Care.  Having earned Certification from the American Board of Integrative & Holistic Medicine, Dr. Murray achieved Provider Certification through the Institute for Functional Medicine.

Now what in the world does this have with being influential? Turns out quite a lot, because “making your way” takes energy, and the interconnected body is the driver for how much is available. Truly knowing yourself from the inside out gives you an edge to improve it. This week’s podcast is about “taking your body” back for overall well-being and zest for life!

Influential women understand that connection extends far beyond passing out business cards or schmoozing. This podcast features Nancy Segal talking about how her depth of connections led to extraordinary changes. From litigating the last bastion of discrimination against weight requirements for female flight attendants to her delight in being a matchmaker, Nancy exemplifies how respectful relationships bring power to women. 

Nancy Segal is the Executive Director of Government Relations for Educational Testing Services (ETS) in Washington, D.C.  Segal oversees policy experts that address education and workforce issues in the United States and 180 other countries. Prior to joining ETS, she was Associate Vice President at ACT, Inc., overseeing federal relations. Her experience includes being Legislative Director of the National Parent Teacher Association and later, Counsel for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). 

Segal began her professional life as an employment, labor and civil rights attorney. She served as counsel to the late Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. 

Segal holds a B.A. in political science from Oberlin College and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. She has published numerous articles with respect to discrimination case law.

Joni lived in a religious cult for 13 years where her true self became buried, sharing “It’s sort of an abdication of your own responsibility to stay in charge of yourself.  That’s the cult experience, but you can get that experience outside of being in a cult.” Hear how saying “no” fueled the courage to move forward with a high school education and four small daughters, ultimately becoming a Circuit Court Judge.  Joni’s honesty about “The grip of what I saw for myself was different than the circumstances I found myself in - the fight was for myself” is pure inspiration for all!

Joni Clark is a judge for the Second Judicial Circuit in South Dakota. She was elected to that position in 2015 after serving as a Magistrate Judge. Prior she was an elected South Dakota State Representative for eight years and a State Senator for two where she led extensive public advocacy work in the areas of banking, trust, business, criminal justice and civil/criminal laws. Joni has been the only woman to Chair a SD House Judiciary Committee. Additionally she was Chair for the revision of the SD Criminal Code (only 2nd revision in SD history) and Co-Chair of the Legislature Executive Committee.  During her tenure, she led significant national and international efforts with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as Chair of the Law and Justice Committee, and appointment to the Executive Committee.

Throughout Joni’s career she has been a champion for the advocacy issues of women and children. She served as the attorney for the SD Network Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault. Joni was a member of the national Uniform Law Commission on Human Trafficking and the US Commission on Civil Rights.  Additionally she was the Divisional Dean of the Criminal Justice and Public Administration program at Colorado Technical University. Her experience includes extensive presentations, published articles and awards.

Joni graduated from Augustana College/University of Sioux Falls and the University of South Dakota School of Law.  She has a National Judicial College General Jurisdiction Certificate and an Executive Education Certificate from the Kennedy School of Government. Joni is a mom and grandmother with four grown daughters.