Ep 13: Values-Driven Leadership Rosie Allen-Herring, President & CEO, United Way

Leadership Insights Podcast

“Values drive our actions, responses and decisions; we each have to determine what matters to us and what we are and aren’t wiling to accept.” – Rosie Allen-Herring

Rosie Allen-Herring counts as a blessing to have grown up in a large, education-focused Southern family; surrounded by a loving, encouraging community; and crossing paths with teachers and mentors that have shaped her path and her values. Today she is an inspiration to her staff, peers and community and hearing her stories and insights on family, growth and leadership it’s easy to see why. Don’t miss this amazing interview with an extraordinary leader - Rosie Allen-Herring!

What You'll Learn:

• How Rosie’s Southern upbringing in a large, loving, education-focused family and community forever shaped her values and path as a leader
• What Rosie learned from her mom about servant leadership and how she strives to live by these principles in her life and career
• How losing loved ones has made Rosie reflect and make changes in her life
• How she perceived being the only African-American leader in numerous corporate experiences
• How bad bosses - as well as great ones - have influenced her leadership style
• What female mentors taught her about succeeding in a male-dominated environment and what males mentors contributed to her growth
• Rosie’s advice for discovering our values and making sure we’re fully aligned with them in our actions and reactions
• What she’s learned from making mistakes as a leader
• Rosie’s advice on making peace with mistakes and gaining confidence in yourself
• What confidence advice she would have given her 25-year-old self
• Tips for giving feedback and empowering people you're working with
• And so much more!

About Rosie Allen-Herring

Rosie Allen-Herring is the President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of the National Capital Area (United Way NCA). She brings to United Way NCA a keen understanding of how to leverage resources and convene public and private entities to create a collective impact in the local community as well as on a national level.

Rosie has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of strategic leadership, public and private partnership development, corporate philanthropy and community investment.

Formerly, Rosie was the Managing Director of the Community Investment and Engagement Division at Fannie Mae. In that role, she led Fannie Mae’s corporate philanthropic strategy, and oversaw the organization’s social responsibility investments and employee engagement efforts nationwide.

Prior to Managing Director at Fannie Mae, she served as the National Regulatory Compliance Manager, Housing & Community Development. She was also the Senior Deputy Director, Washington, DC Community Business Center.

Rosie developed, implemented and managed key business strategies for the Washington Metropolitan area, resulting in investments of more than $2 billion in the region.

Rosie holds key leadership roles with several business and civic organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Greater Washington Board of Trade, District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Washington Area Women’s Foundation, Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital, Prince George's Community College Foundation and several additional organizations. She served as a board member for Washington's exploratory Olympic committee, Washington 2024.

She earned a B.A. in Economics from Howard University, an M.B.A. from Strayer University and was an International Fellow of the United States-Southern Africa Center for Leadership and Public Values at the University of Cape Town (SA) Graduate School of Business and Duke University Graduate School of Public Policy.

Rosie has been honored by many organizations, including: Washington Business Journal Minority Business Leader (2015); Hope Awardee for Calvary Women's Shelter (2015); Most Influential Business Leader ( 2014 and 2013); Brava Top CEO Award (2014); Washingtonian Magazine’s Most Powerful Women (2013); Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 Leader and Washington Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business Award (2011).

She has been included on prestigious lists such as “Outstanding Young Women of America,” and “Who’s Who in America.”