Tennessee Voices, Episode 342: Pat Shea, nonprofit leader and entrepreneur
Pat Shea came to Nashville 40 years ago straight out of college.
She began to volunteer for the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, and she said the experience fed her soul.
The organization serves survivors of domestic violence, combats racism and develops the leadership skills of girls.
Several years later, she became the YWCA's CEO, leading the organization to raise millions of dollars, creating a strong partnership with the Nashville Predators hockey team to help teach young men to be good men, and coordinating a community Stand Against Racism.
On this episode of the Tennessee Voices video podcast, Shea, a nonprofit leader (now retired from the YWCA) and philanthropy entrepreneur, shared that she became "an active citizen accidentally."
The groundwork she laid -- now continued by her successor Sharon Roberson -- matters because Tennessee has among the highest rates of violence against women in the nation.
Shea talked about her own journey of development, the achievements and the work still left to do.
She also discussed family caregiving and her continuing learning about spiritual beliefs and practices.
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About Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
Watch past episodes:Tennessee Voices videocast
Please email your ideas for future guests to me at dplazas@tennessean.com. Thank you for watching.
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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. He is of Colombian and Cuban descent, has studied or worked in several Spanish-speaking countries, and was the founding editor of Gaceta Tropical in Southwest Florida. He has lived in Tennessee since 2014. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Video podcast: Pat Shea, nonprofit leader and entrepreneur
