Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leigh Zydonik. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Leigh, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

In 2007 I found myself back in my hometown with my two young sons after an unexpected turn in life events. I was jobless, carless, living with my parents, and still in shock of how I arrived in this position. I distinctly remember coming across a motto that I still live by today. “Bloom where you are planted.” I made the decision then, that if I didn’t like where I was, it was up to me to turn it into something special. I found a job as an administrative assistant in a newly formed non-profit organization. This is where my love of the non-profit world and community collaboration began. Since that time, I have lead 3 different non-profit organizations, spearheaded civic engagement, and championed collective impact.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Two years ago my husband, Ron, was offered a wonderful job opportunity in Phoenix, AZ. We packed up and left Ohio to explore the Southwest. I was fortunate to find an amazing organization, the Foothills Food Bank & Resource Center, where I was hired as the Executive Director. Our organization has been working to end food insecurity for more than 30 years. We are focused on helping community members overcome their circumstances by providing immediate support through food and resources and by aiding them in reaching a goal of independence and a return to self-sufficiency. I think one thing that sets us aside from typical food pantries, is that we want to meet the needs of the whole person. Rarely do you find that a person is just food insecure, there are usually other issues that are the root cause of the instability. Along with providing food, we have programs and resources to help build that bridge to independence. With the economic situation, the food bank found that the need for our services was growing so great that we could not effectively meet them in our current facility. One of my passions is building relationships with other individuals and organizations, forming partnerships to elevate the community. In looking for a new facility, we have been able to use our relationships with the Town of Cave Creek and other non-profit agencies in the area to form a collaboration where the town is donating land to build a new facility that will house the food bank warehouse, resource agencies, and town services.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think my passion for community and working together are the things that have helped build my reputation in the non-profit sector. I am a big proponent of not duplicating services. In my organizations, we strived to do what we do best, then find other agencies who are known for their complimentary services and partner with them. I am more of a fan of collaboration, than competition. If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I moved back to Ohio to be near family, I had let my teaching certificate expire and needed more hours to renew. I didn’t have the time or money to take more classes and needed a job immediately. It was 2007 and the job market was very slim. The only job I could find was as an administrative assistant for a non-profit formed to expedite flood mitigation. I had to learn more than I ever thought I would care to about hydraulics and hydrology. Here is where I also learned about grants, politics, and the non-profit world. This experience led to my next position as the director of a community arts partnership. The experiences there, led to a job in development at a university, which then led to a term as Executive Director of the Center for Civic Engagement. Each position gave me skills and experiences that allowed me to elevate and be successful on the next career path.

Contact Info:

• Website: foothillsfoodbank.com
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/leighzydonik