5 Minutes With: Vikki Millender-Morrow, CEO, Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta

Inspiring girls: The new CEO of Girls Inc. wants girls to be strong, smart and bold.

September 5, 2008

Atlanta Woman : Tell us about yourself.
Vikki Morrow: I am a mother, a wife and a nonprofit leader. I am president and CEO of Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta, a girl-serving organization that helps girls understand their rights and reach their full potential.
   
I assumed this role in January 2008 after a successful 20-year career as a general management professional with AT&T (BellSouth). I held positions in engineering, sales, product management, regulatory and external affairs and human resources.

    
Prior to joining Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta, I served on the board and volunteered for Girls Inc. I have volunteered and fundraised for several local nonprofits, and I have given my time to mentor women and girls. I am a passionate advocate for women's and girl's issues. 

I graduated with a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I also earned a master's in public and private management from Birmingham Southern College. 

I have lived in Atlanta over 17 years. I am married to Derrick Morrow, and I have two sons, Kendall and Austin Thomas.

AW: You come from a corporate background. What lessons from corporate America are you bringing to Girls Inc.?
Morrow: The skills I rely on most often are my financial management and sales skills. On a daily basis I am faced with decisions regarding how best to spend our human and financial resources. In addition, I am the main spokesperson for the organization. It's my job to effectively communicate the need for the work we do and why we are the best agency to address those needs. 

AW : What interested you in the position?
Morrow: I am passionate about the work we do! I fell in love with the organization through volunteering and then working as an active member of the board. I was interested in doing something on a full-time basis that made a difference!

AW : What are your goals for the organization?
Morrow: To build the financial and human resources needed to sustain this great organization so we can continue the great work we do. Our organizational goal is to empower girls for an equitable society. Our organization delivers meaningful, preventative programs to help the thousands of girls we serve beat the odds and reach their full potential. 

Girls who stick with our programs graduate from high school, avoid pregnancy during their teen years, and avoid substance and alcohol abuse. They are confident and caring, they are strong, smart and bold! We are giving them the tools to help change the current landscape where men still earn a higher wage and occupy the highest positions in our corporations and our government. We are giving them the tools to help us create an equitable society.

AW : Tell us about Girls Inc.
Morrow: Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta is a girl-serving agency that provides research-based programming for girls ages 6 to 18. Our programs give girls and young women the tools to recognize and combat subtle societal messages about their value and ultimate potential.

Our programs incorporate aspects of science, math, and technology education, pregnancy prevention, media literacy, adolescent health, substance abuse prevention and sports participation. These programs enable our girls to take informed risks and master physical, intellectual and emotional challenges. 

Our mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold! We have touched the lives of over 80,000 girls in metropolitan Atlanta in our 32-year history.

AW : What differentiates Girls Inc. from other organizations for girls?
Morrow: One of the differences is our programs are research-based and evaluated. We deliver programs that have detailed six-to-10-week lesson plans. This concentration of time spent on a topic ensures that our girls demonstrate a level of proficiency when the program is completed. 

Another difference is our staff is trained to deliver our programs, and their education is updated on an annual basis. We don't rely on volunteers to deliver our core programming. We focus exclusively on girls, not boys or women. This focus enables us to really get it right! All of the other agencies do a great job, but we are the proven experts on successful programming for girls.

AW : What is your biggest challenge?
Morrow: Financial sustainability. With so many nonprofits in Atlanta and the current economic climate, we struggle like many agencies to maintain the needed funding. My dream is that every woman in Atlanta would consider investing financially in the girls we serve. If every woman contributed $10 to Girls Inc. each month, we would have the needed resources to sustain the required level of programming that will make a difference in the lives of the girls we serve.

AW : If you knew then what you know now. ...
Morrow: I would have changed my career path sooner to make a difference!

AW: What is the nicest thing that anyone has ever said about you?
Morrow: They can count on me to be authentic and transparent.