RI PowerPlayer: Kathleen Cloutier
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Every week, GoLocalProv shines the spotlight on one individual who is making an impact on Rhode Island. This week, GoLocalProv sat down with Kathleen Cloutier, the Executive Director of Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island.
You have been the Executive Director of Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island since 2013. Can you talk to us a bit about Dorcas and the impact it has on the state?
Dorcas International Institute is a multi-service organization that assists with removing various cultural, language, education, and employment barriers for people, so they are able to fully and actively participate in their communities.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWe provide client-centered services and advocacy, using our expertise in family literacy and adult education, employment supports, refugee resettlement, translation, interpretation, U.S. citizenship and immigration services.
At Dorcas International, we believe that supporting and building on the diversity and strength of the people we serve is an investment in a stronger, more connected and global Rhode Island.
Before coming to this position, you had extensive experience in social-service leadership roles. Can you elaborate a bit on your professional journey to Dorcas?
I actually started my social service career as a client 35 years ago. I was a single mother and one of the “working poor” so my son was eligible to participate in the local Head Start program in Western Massachusetts. Not only did he receive a preschool education, but I received the needed support and encouragement to fully participate in his education, and also to begin to set goals for myself. I was later given the opportunity to work as the bookkeeper for the same program at Franklin Community Action agency. With ongoing training and support, I was eventually able to progress to become the agency’s CFO, having only a high school diploma.
I later took a position as CFO for Human Resources Unlimited, a community rehabilitation organization in Springfield, MA that provided vocational training for people with disabilities. Although my experience fully qualified me for the position, the CEO encouraged and supported me to study for a post-secondary degree. I participated in one of the first Executive Business Programs for women in Western Massachusetts. After graduating with a BS in Business, I was promoted to Director of Administration and Finance. I continued to pursue my education, receiving an International Masters in Management through an International Executive program with Purdue University and universities in France, the Netherlands and Hungary.
Upon graduation, I went back full circle to working in community action, only this time as the Executive Director of the Albany, NY community action agency. I was able to use my experience in community action along with my business education to affect the turn-around of the struggling organization. Eight years later, the organization was again thriving, so I began to look for another challenge. I was extremely interested in the Executive Director position at Dorcas International because of the unique opportunity to participate in developing an integrated organizational culture post-merger; as well as to finally use my international education experience. It has been a wonderful experience, providing additional opportunities for my professional development and growth.
What are the biggest obstacles you face as Executive Director of the Institute? What are the opportunities?
Large scale organizational change can be very challenging, but it also brings many opportunities. In the past year, we have been able to restructure and integrate our services, so as to be more client-centered; we’ve also created operational efficiencies to be able to expand capacity and range of services, to offer more comprehensive long-term solutions for our clients.
We’ve identified what organizational excellence looks like for Dorcas International, and will begin to measure our progress towards achieving “excellence." To do that, we are developing a culture of accountability and continuous improvement; and have begun to use data to drive our decision making. This will approach allow us to stay relevant, and flexible in meeting the changing needs of our clients and communities.
Although extremely challenging, I view these all as opportunities, rather than obstacles; and although we still have much work to do, by staying solution-focused, I have no doubt that we will soon successfully achieve our goals.
In your efforts to serve the program’s participants, what support do you need from the State? From the community?
I believe our clients would benefit from coordination of services and support, both at the State level as well as the community level. Rhode Island isn’t lacking in the availability of services, however the systems are often disconnected, operating in silos, which makes it difficult to offer a holistic approach when assisting with a client’s needs. It seems, given the State’s manageable population size, we (collectively) would do well to develop more collaborative models of working together in order to achieve a greater community impact and better client outcomes.
Coming from a position in New York, what has been your favorite thing about working in Rhode Island?
I have to say, that of all of the places that I’ve lived and worked, Rhode Island is my truly overall favorite. My favorite thing about working here is having the opportunity to expand my professional worldview; meeting and working with a number of inspiring leaders, in such diverse areas of expertise.
If you could go out to lunch with anyone in the world – alive or dead – who would it be and what would you want to talk about?
That’s a question I’ve not thought about, but if pressed, I would love to lunch with the American photojournalist Lynsey Addario. Her work is incredibly moving, and focuses on women’s roles, particularly regarding conflicts and human rights issues. I would love to hear from her about some of the stories behind her art.
Who are your role models?
In retrospect, I’ve had two supervisors who I consider to be my role models. Sarah Younglove was the first woman that I worked for who was in an influential leadership position in business. She modelled for me the effectiveness of leading with compassion, which has influenced my personal style of leadership.
Don Kozera has also been a mentor and role model for me, and showed me how to think more strategically. He also modelled the use of Total Quality Management principles and practices in the “business” of human services, which was cutting edge at the time, but is now standard practice. I’ve tried to emulate some of the best of both of them in my work.
Favorite Providence restaurant?
Kitchen - my favorite meal is breakfast, and they have one of the best!
Favorite TV series?
Sadly, I have to admit that I am a long-time Law & Order junkie.
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