An El Paso transplant, board member Chelsea Lynch now calls El Paso home. Here, she shares about her journey and the leaps she made in her career that helped her grow as a leader.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m originally from St. Augustine, Florida but have lived in El Paso, Texas for a little over 3 years. I moved to El Paso right after I completed the didactic portion of my Master’s program in Alabama to start my career with The Hospitals of Providence. As you can tell, I’ve moved around a bit in the pursuit of my passion -- healthcare -- but I’ve absolutely fallen in love with El Paso. I have professional experience in value based payment programs, Medicaid program management and hospital administration. Outside of work, I spend my free time volunteering for organizations that I feel make an impact within our community including United Way Young Leaders Society, the El Paso Child Guidance Center, Progress321, and the Junior League of El Paso, to name a few.
What are some of the major milestones in your professional life?
Joining The Hospitals of Providence administrative team has by far been the largest milestone for my professional career. Moving to El Paso, I honestly had no idea what to expect. Joining the team immediately following graduation was a big leap for me, especially because I didn’t know anyone and really didn’t know much about El Paso. I was still learning who I was as a leader (and still am). Thus, the opportunity to learn from exceptional leaders like Sally Hurt-Deitch, Monica Vargas-Mahar and Nico Tejeda was fascinating and more than I could have ever asked for. Their willingness to support the growth of my career and continuously push me as a leader has been incredible.
How does YLS add value to your personal and/or professional life?
Moving to an unknown city as a young professional, it can be difficult to find a new network of friends that share a passion to improve the community they live and work in. I was introduced to the United Way Young Leaders Society through The Hospitals of Providence annual employee-giving campaign. After seeing some of the events on Facebook, I was immediately intrigued. The UWYLS does an outstanding job of hosting events that bring together young leaders in El Paso, whether that’s to introduce the group to an elite speaker in the Wine and Wisdom series, offer networking and interview coaching, offer exposure to the community through volunteer opportunities or build friendships. YLS has allowed me to feel more comfortable in the professional community and build lifelong friendships. I am truly grateful to be a part of this organization.
What is your favorite thing to do out of work in El Paso?
Eat! I love exploring new restaurants with friends. I also enjoy visiting the wineries in New Mexico, painting and spending time with friends outside at famers markets and festivals. Just in the amount of time I have been here, El Paso has grown so much and I’m excited to see what the future brings.
Do you have any skills or talents most people don’t know about?
When people first meet me, I can come off as quiet and shy. In reality, I’m observing the situation and the people around me to learn before acting. I think most people underestimate the ability and necessity to listen instead of speak, and read situations and people before reacting or making judgments.
What are the values that drive you?
Honesty, Objectivity, Inclusion and Creativity.