Leadership Delaware County Spotlight - Allison McGill

Name: Allison McGill
Hometown: Broomall, PA
Company: Values Into Action PA & Values Into Action NJ
Position: Director of Culture & Talent
Length of time you have been with you company: 8 ½ years
Briefly describe your journey, noting both personal milestones and obstacles you may have faced along the way. I was raised in rural Indiana, and I always knew I wanted to experience life outside of the small Midwest town I grew up in. I moved to SE PA for college and stayed for grad school. In my first professional roles I worked directly with children with disabilities or mental health diagnoses. Eventually, I was promoted to a supervisory role that allowed for me to do hiring for the programs I was supervising. And something just clicked, I enjoyed meeting new people and finding the right fit for the positions we had opened. It lead me to reevaluate what I wanted to do and I decided I wanted to gain more experience in the human resource side of human services. I took a leap and applied for an entry level HR position with my current organization and they took the leap with me! Since then, I’ve gotten the opportunity to learn and grow and am now at a director level, leading our Culture & Talent team. 

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How did you hear about LDC and why did you sign up to take part in it? My mentor sent me information on LDC. I thought it would be a great opportunity for continued leadership development as I had been just recently promoted.

What inspires you? How does that inspiration play into your professional life? I’m inspired by doing good. I was raised by a woman who committed to doing the most good that she could with the resources that she had—even though she herself often didn’t have many resources. Nevertheless, my mother did (and still does) good for me, her family and friends and for her community. I strive to do good how she does, in small and in big ways, however I can—personally and professionally.   

Briefly, describe a transformative moment that helped to shift your approach to your career. Realizing you can change your mind! You don’t have to pick one career and do it forever if you don’t want to. People change and with that, your goals, desires and needs change too. Being open to that was transformative for my personal professional development.

What leaders, thinkers or doers do you admire most? Why? People who work to make positive impacts and change in their communities and the world. Anyone has the capability to do good in this world, and I admire those who choose to do so.

What has been the most valuable professional advice and/or lesson you’ve received. Lead with compassion and treat people like they are in fact, people.