Executive Mom of the Month Name: Jayne Gershkowitz Company: National Tay Sachs and Allied Diseases Association Title: Executive Director Spouse: Bruce Gershkowitz, Director of Business Development, Tetrawave Children: Neala 15, Levi, 13 What is your background? I have a double degree in Newspaper Journalism & English from Syracuse University. My first job out of college was as a journalist for the Post Standard, a local Syracuse newspaper. Is this your first position in the non-profit field? I have had this job for nearly two years. Prior to this, I was Head of Marketing and Communication for Jewish Family and Children Services of Boston for about 8 years. When I went back to work after my kids were born, I was Head of Marketing and Promotions for 2 local children's museums in the Boston area. Your children are approaching their mid teens now. Did you work when they were young? I had always intended to work after my first child was born, but I decided to stay home. In fact prior to getting pregnant, I worked for an international business insurer and I was one of their first professional woman to take maternity leave. This was a male-dominated company with very few options for women. The cost of getting someone in our home for child care was prohibitive- it just didn't add up. My decision to stay home was a good one; I felt good about what I was doing. I got involved in community activities and met many professional women who were doing the same thing I was. That was where I got my intellectual stimulation. My second child was born during this time and I remained a stay-at-home mom for four years. How did you handle child care issues when you went back to work full time? When I went back to work my children were only 4 and 2. We found a "family day care" facility that was wonderful. It was only licensed for six children and the woman who ran it had an early childhood background. It was like a preschool. Plus my husband started spending more time home in the afternoon. His schedule at the time was more flexible than mine. I think that child care options have improved significantly in the ten years since my kids were small. There seem to be more options now for women than there were then. How is working for a non-profit organization different in its demands from the business world? In the non-profit world, the demands on time are different. There are committee meetings that are held in the evenings. Many special events and board meetings are not necessarily during the business day. My husband would always pick up the slack. Plus over the years we have developed our own support network of friends and neighbors. The National Tay Sachs and Allied Diseases Association is a national organization. We hold 3 strategic planning sessions a year and a national conference. In the non-profit world, the rewards are not necessarily monetary. You feel like you are really having an impact, you are really making a difference. With all the responsibilities of your work and family, how do you make time for yourself? Believe it or not, I play Mah Jongg one evening a week. We are a group of five women who have been playing together for several years. It's a wonderful respite. We have formed very strong friendships and we get together for companionship and other social activities. Also, I read. It's a wonderful escape. Have you found any services and companies who can help you balance your time more efficiently? In the past, I have had help in house cleaning. It's hard to imagine that anyone with a really busy schedule would want to spend their time cleaning. What is your biggest challenge? Juggling, balancing. Sometimes people think that when the kids get older, it gets easier. That's not necessarily true. You want your kids to be involved in activities, and of course they want to have friends coming over. There is not always the time to get your kids to their after school activities when you have to be at work, plus it is really hard to reciprocate to their friends when you're not home after school. What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishment? I think that the greatest professional accomplishment is seeing your work recognized by others in your field. When I worked at Jewish Family and Children's Services, I took the organization for a complete marketing restructuring. I brought it to new levels. It is my goal to do the same thing at this organization. Making an impact is important to me; feeling like I am really helping. What is your best advice for other executive working moms? Don't take yourself too seriously! Have a sense of humor! Surround yourself with supportive people! Don't strive for perfection! You can't have it all. It's all a series of compromises. As I have gotten older, I have realized that it all comes down to putting your family first because they will always be there- companies and corporations will continue to function after you leave, but your family is always there. Toot your own horn! Take pride in what you do and give yourself credit! What is National Tay Sachs and Allied Diseases Organization? NTSAD is an organization dedicated to preventing Tay Sachs by educating the public about the disease. It is dedicated to supporting families who have children affected by the disease. It sustains an international quality control program for testing for the presence of the disease. Relying solely on private funding, the National Tay Sachs and Allied Diseases Organization is dedicated to furthering research into the disease. Although the disease affects the general population, the incidence is not high enough to warrant general screening. Tay Sachs is a genetic disease that invariably results in death to an afflicted child by the age of 5. There is no cure. To have a Tay Sachs child, both parents must carry the tay sachs gene. When both are carriers, the chance of having an afflicted child are one in four. In the general population, the incidence of Tay Sachs carriers is 1 in 250. In Irish Americans, the incidence increases to between 1:150 and 1:190. Carriers are most commonly found in Jews of Eastern European decent, French Canadians and Cajuns. In these groups, the incidence is 1 in 27. For more information and contact information, visit their Web site at: www.ntsad.org • Submit a nomination for Executive Mom of the Month • September's Mom of the Month: Ann Higgins • August's Mom of the Month: Peggy Garcia • July's Mom of the Month: Maria Vidal • June's Mom of the Month: Patricia Campbell