Interview by Glynis Bell
Having qualified and passionate team members is one of the most important assets an organization of excellence can have. Folk who are willing to go above and beyond to make sure that the needs of the organization are met, that the mission is fulfilled and that the stakeholders, in this case our students, are growing and thriving in our local school community!
Meet Kathy Furr! She fits this description to a tee!
Kathy has been in her position as the Forsyth Promise Data Analyst since February. She comes to us from the Winston-Salem / Forsyth County School System, where she served as a Staffing Supervisor for four years. She said she called herself a “detective for talent.” Translated, that means finding qualified talent for open positions within the school system. She spent two years as a Substitute Teacher Coordinator. This position required her to train and manage about 1,000 substitute teachers. Kathy said that what she missed most was working with the subs and learning about who they were and hearing their wonderful and unique stories about what brought them to serve as a substitute teacher.
I asked Kathy what would success look like in the first 90 days in her new gig. Her response: “to understand the data and agencies that make up The Forsyth Promise and how they all come together.” She went on, “I want to understand how the data is stored, how it can be reported on, and how it best serves the students.” She enthusiastically added, “There’s a lot that factors into how a child is successful.”
There’s a lot that factors into how a child is successful.
Kathy Furr
Kathy enjoys the outdoor life and loves to hike, bike and ski. She shared with me details of a recent adventure that she and her family took to Montana for their annual family vacation. Each year they venture to a different location, always out west. In past trips they’ve been to Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Her very favorite destination is Telluride, Colorado. When I asked why, she said “It is a great town. It’s a great place to ski in the winter and for a jazz festival in the summer. And the mountains there are breathtaking!”
Kathy has been married for 33 years and has two successful daughters. One lives in New York City, and the other resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. I asked what her favorite food was and she said she said, “Salad is good, it goes well with red wine!” She said she wasn’t picky about her food but she was pretty picky when it came to her favorite sporting team: “I’m a Carolina Panthers Fan!”
So much so, she named her cat Kasay after her favorite Panthers player, John Kasay!
We are excited to welcome Kathy on board to The Forsyth Promise team!