Her work included time on the Y’s board of directors, as well. In fact, when former YWCA chief executive Carol Hinton retired at the end of 2012, Isom chaired that board.
So it makes sense that the “Y” chose Isom to take the organization forward. And Isom believes her time working for health care providers prepared her to lead the YWCA, an institution that concerns itself with the well-being of local women.
For Isom and the Y, it’s about a particular brand of customer focus that, from the outside, looks lot like empathy.
“You’re putting yourself in the shoes of others and then really delivering service based on how you want to be treated,” Isom said.
Today, Isom is approaching her first anniversary as CEO of the YWCA. We recently sat down with her for 3 questions. What follows is an edited, condensed transcript.
Q: What was it about working in health care that prepared you to lead the Y?
Isom: "I think that the thing I really glean from my health care background that works very well here is I can take a huge amount of information, synergize it pretty quickly, even compartmentalize it and look at systems, processes and operations. Certainly, we're focused on customers — customers being our residents and what we call clients …
“I can take all information pretty quickly now to make decisions. And I think health care has really taught me that equation of variables to look at, to decide what to do …
“There’s furious competitive war between just two (health care) systems here, the differentiator is always how well you treat the patient. I brought a lot of that here.”
Q: The Y is Montgomery County’s only shelter for victims of domestic violence. Do you think that unique role is sufficiently appreciated locally?
Isom: "Where I think that the community is really not clear — and if you're really not intimately involved with the YW, you wouldn't be clear — is what does the YWCA do. What does your brand really ultimately mean? …
“When you talk about our mission of empowering women and eliminating racism, for whatever reason, that goes straight to domestic violence. Or maybe sheltering. Or (some may ask) are you a homeless shelter? …
“But we actually have several programs here, one of which is a domestic violence program that is connected to a hotline, that is certainly connected to the needs and the safety nets of children and women who are fleeing unsafe situations. We provide shelter for them.
“However, that is not all that we do. We do many other things that include teen services and youth services, leasing space for child care. And we also are a long-term residence for many people in the downtown area.
“Some of the activities that go on here, people think, ‘Oh, it’s a homeless shelter.’ We don’t do homeless. We house domestic violence (victims) who are fleeing a home.”
Q: Can you talk about those long-term residents? Who are they?
Isom: "We have residents who maybe have been here for a month all the way up to 20-plus years … We never talk about it. But of those who call us home, the average resident is about a seven- to 10-year resident.
“Let me tell you at least what brings me joy about being in this position, and what I hear about why women like and choose to live here year after year: It’s not because they don’t have options … They’re not fleeing necessarily anything. But some of the things they need are, just help to do some of the daily operational things that we take for granted. Maybe between the Verizon, the electric, the telephone and the cable, and the rent, it becomes overwhelming. So it allows them to be in a space where there’s one collective subsidized payment that covers all those things.
“Others love the benefit because maybe they are maybe scooter-bound or wheelchair-bound, and (our location) provides quick access for transportation, for shopping, for doing their daily needs, to the doctor’s office. … For them, it’s a central location.”
Know someone who can handle Three Questions? We’re looking for behind-the-scenes-but-still fascinating Miami Valley residents with something to say. Send your suggestions to tom.gnau@coxinc.com.
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