| Leadership Blount’s Executive Director Pete Carter sat down with his long time friend, Regina, to learn more about how her experiences both at home and and early on in her career have shaped her into the leader Blount County knows and loves, today.
Pete: What specific experiences have most shaped your Leadership Journey?
Regina: My experiences at home is where it all started. My mom held high expectations for me as the eldest daughter and I watched my Dad work hard his whole life. Almost as soon as I could walk, I was working the garbage truck route with Dad and it was gruesome, hard work! He emphasized two lessons at a young age that I'll never forget: "A job worth doing, is worth doing right the first time." and "Boredom is a joke! Look around, see what needs to be done, and you do it. Nobody needs to step up and tell you." Though I worked a few jobs (the first being the variety store Sky City, a nod to Blount Countians that have been around a while) before landing in banking at CBBC, I always had a goal to join the military. In 1987 I did my 6 weeks of basic and was sworn in by none other that Gen. Fred Forster. I had my associates degree from Pellissippi State Community College and was quickly identified as a class leader for the NCO Academy because of the extra stripe the degree earned me. This was the first leadership position I ever held, one that came with the duty to deliver a speech while I was dealing with the grief of my grandfather's passing. I made that commitment so you better believe that I was going to make it back to the base in time to give the speech. Being pushed to lead in this way changed my life forever, and for the better.
Pete: Do you have any key mentors or supporters that helped you get to where you are today?
Regina: Other than my parents, there are many people in this community that I have and can still call on when I need personal advice. I can trust that they will give it to me straight and with my best intention in mind. Specifically my work under Noel Case gave me a great example of how to pause, listen and read people in order to deliver messages effectively to different audiences. People like Tracey Queen, Joy Bishop, and Deanna H. Shepard are a few examples of the many women I did and can still call on when I need to be steered in the right direction. These people, my friends, helped me make the decision to go for the current position I am in now at Pinnacle. They made me realize that I am not only doing this for myself, but I am making a statement for all women in this county.
Pete: What is your approach to team building? How have you created such high functioning teams that trust you?
Regina: You get in the weeds right along with them. Lead by example, show them that you are willing to do the work too! I've experienced every job there is to have in banking in my career so I know exactly how someone is feeling when they have a problem. That experience is important. Teambuilding can be a challenge for women because it often times feels like you are competing, but you have to think of it like skill sharing. You can flip the narrative and accept an opportunity to learn from those that can do what you want to do but aren't quite there yet. Bring each other along.
Pete: What is one change you’d love to see in this community in the next 5-10 years and what steps can we take now to make that happen?
Regina: Infrastructure and homelessness issues come to mind first. When I think about big issues like that though, I want to look upstream. Can we as a community figure out what causes the issue by dissecting the policies and systematic problems that might lead to these big daunting challenges?
Pete: What are some words of advice you can give to emerging leaders in Blount County?
Regina: Get involved early and start to build those relationships. Get out of the house and be seen and then be committed. If you don't know where to start, ask yourself what you can do to help others. That is what always motivates me! Additionally, make sure you stay loyal and trustworthy. Though your job is just part of your life, take it seriously. You never know who you are going to need to know or call on. |
