On April 1, Lisse Regehr will take the reins as CEO of Thrive Allen County, replacing David Toland.
Regehr has been with Thrive for four years, gradually taking on new and bigger responsibilities.
For the longest time, the position as chief executive officer held little allure for Regehr.
I see the pressure that comes with that position, and yes, even the hate that gets spread across the Internet when people dont like a decision that gets made. So for a very long time I thought this just isnt for me. Its such a difficult job, and for the longest time I didnt want to picture David stepping away from it.
When Toland was tapped last year as treasurer for the gubernatorial campaign of Sen. Laura Kelly, the Thrive staff began mentally preparing for change if she should win.
We knew that there was no way David wouldnt go with her, if asked, Regehr said. He was her sounding board on rural issues.
As for Thrive, This is the organization that brought me back to Iola, she said. This is the organization that continues to preserve and grow our culture here. I want to see that continue. And I want to be a part of it.
As a woman in a very visible role, Regehr, age 38, acknowledges there will be built-in challenges.
Can she handle the naysayers? The bullies? The skeptics?
For Regehr, thats part of the reason she applied for the position.
As a woman, I want to be a role model for our young girls and women to show this is possible, she said.
Each week during the construction of G&W Foods, Regehr took her niece, Moira Springer, now 6, to the construction site, where she would snap a photo of the two as the grocery took shape.
I told her that I was a part of the process in locating the grocery to Iola, she said. And that she can do big things like this, too. I very purposely try to model strong leadership when I can.
All of this kind of came together when I considered applying for the CEO job. This will be the biggest challenge of my career. It is definitely scary, but if you dont step into things that scare you and you dont challenge yourself, then what are you doing?
REGEHR IS the daughter of Walt and Mary Ann Regehr.
After graduating from Kansas State University in communications, she worked in development for the Sisters of St. Joseph Ministry Foundation of St. Paul, Minn.
