Interviews

The Reverend Betty Adam is the founder and CEO of Compassionate Houston. She has served at Christ Church Cathedral since 1992 as pastor and educator and is currently Resident Canon Theologian. During her ministry, she has developed a theological center and an hispanic worshiping community and founded several organizations, including Brigid's Place, the Magdalene Community amd Link2Peace. We spoke with her recently to learn more about Compassionate Houston.

HOUSTON WOMAN: What is Compassionate Houston? 

BETTY ADAM:  Compassionate Houston is dedicated to celebrating and enhancing the compassionate  culture in Greater Houston. We recognize volunteers and organizations committed to compassionate work and are building a network of partners in this mission. CH is a new organization, but one that sometimes feels more like a campaign or a grass-roots movement with a big dream for Houston. We want Houston to become one of the most compassionate cities in America, or for that matter, in the world. It’s a huge dream and because of its scope, we are starting with first steps.  

HW:  When was it established? By whom? 

ADAM: We’ve been working on this since 2010, but we were incorporated as a nonprofit in February of this year. And, who are we? We’re a multicultural, multi-religious and multilingual group of partners as diverse as our city — students and volunteers, business people and pastors, dreamers and doers.Our Founding Partners were inspired by a global vision for a better, more compassionate world — a vision calling all men and women and children to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. When I read Karen Armstrong’s “Charter for Compassion,” which conveys the importance of the Golden Rule to all religious and moral systems, I wanted to bring the vision to Houston. So, last June, I decided to offer at the interfaith Rothko Chapel a series on compassion. Our group grew out of that series.  

HW: What is the main focus of Compassionate Houston?  

ADAM: Compassionate action and compassionate living, every day.  We want to spread throughout the city a vision of compassionate living —  we want to learn to “feel with” the other in deeper ways, recognize and respect other points of view,  alleviate suffering and refrain from harming  another. First, we want to celebrate the compassionate work  already going on in Houston. It’s startling to realize that there are more than 15,000 nonprofits in metropolitan Houston. We want to recognize the thousands of men and women who devote the better part of their day to serving others. We also want to grow this culture of compassion.  

HW: Compassionate Houston will be involved in the City of Houston’s commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Would you tell our readers about this involvement? 

ADAM: Along with other groups, we are partnering with the City on that weekend. Every year since the tragedy, the City has devoted time to remembrance. Since this is the 10th anniversary, an entire weekend is being set aside for remembering those who lost their lives and those who served others so bravely and generously in this time of need. Compassionate Houston is given the charge to organize service projects all over the city. We are in the process of doing just that, so we need your help in getting the word out to communities, groups, organizations that might be interested in participating.    

HW: I understand you have Compassionate Partners? Who are they? How many do you have now?  

ADAM: Compassionate Partners are those organizations who want to join us over the 9/11 Tenth Anniversary Commemorative to commit to service over that weekend.  A  Compassionate Partner may either develop a service project for that weekend or submit an ongoing project that we can highlight on that weekend. If you visit our website http://www.compassionatehouston.org, you will find out more about them, who they are, etc. As of today, we have over 70 organizations as Compassionate Partners. We are hoping to grow that list considerably.
 
HW: Is there a fee involved?
 
ADAM: No fee. September 11 is a time of reflection and remembrance. Our desire is that citizens will come together in service to one another in memory and honor of those who gave their lives and so selflessly participated in the rescue. Our Houston firemen, for example, took themselves out of their safety zone in Houston and joined other firemen in Manhattan. 

HW: What is the Compassionate City Initiative?  

ADAM: There’s an exciting global movement for compassionate cities.  The Charter for Compassion is the conceptual foundation for this movement. The International Institute for Compassionate Cities supports compassionate initiatives in cities, towns, states, nations, faith groups, schools, service groups and other places where human beings gather. Any town could declare themselves a compassionate town. This Institute and the great people who head it up have been a wonderful resource for us in starting up Compassionate Houston.  

HW: Who are the Compassionate Ambassadors? 

ADAM: Specific to the 9/11 event coming up, Compassionate Ambassadors are individuals who want to assist Compassionate Houston in activities leading up the weekend and on that weekend itself. In more general terms, the Ambassadors work to be examples of compassion. They notice kindness, acknowledge a courtesy taken for granted, look for compassionate “seeds” in unexpected places. They tell and remind others though their actions, how important it is to be compassionate. Our T-shirts say “We are Compassionate Houston.”  We the people are compassionate. 

HW: How do individuals register to become a Compassionate Ambassador? 

ADAM: Thank you for asking that question. Anyone interested can go to our website and click the “Get Involved” page and sign up.  We, in turn, will be in touch. We want to have an informational get-together of Ambassadors to prepare for that weekend. 

HW: I understand Compassionate Houston would like to host several open, city-wide conversations about compassionate living to serve as training for the ambassadors. Have you scheduled any yet?

ADAM: These conversations are part of our next step. We don’t have any scheduled yet but that activity is certainly part of our dream.
 
HW: What have I not asked about that you would like Houston women (and men) to know about Compassionate Houston?

ADAM: There’s so much to talk about. But, I guess I would say that Compassionate Houston is foremost a connecting and energizing organization. We want to create opportunities for you to connect to service projects and build upon the compassionate work you are already doing. If you study the history of compassionate work in Houston, you will see how involved women have always been in fostering compassionate service. Starting with Kezia Payne DePelchin in the late 19th century whose heart went out to orphaned children, women have been in the forefront of serving and giving. I believe women can be in the first ranks of those in this grass-roots movement to cultivate compassion in this great city of ours.

It’s an issue of increasing interest - math and science education in our nation’s schools. President Barack Obama has urged America’s youth to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This path to innovation begins with great teachers, yet the U.S. is facing a critical shortage of math and science educators. Helen Snodgrass, a biology teacher and Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Fellow at YES Prep North Forest in Houston, recently examined high-achieving women’s perceptions of the teaching profession. Her findings were published in the “New Educator Journal” and offer possible solutions to attract talented candidates to teaching.

HOUSTON WOMAN: Why did you become a teacher?

HELEN SNODGRASS: I have always loved finding new ways to explain something. Once I fell in love with biology in college, I saw teaching as the perfect way to unite my passion for science with my love of teaching. I get to spend every day helping 75 ninth graders see themselves as scientists and become as excited about science as I am. 

HW: How long have you been teaching at YES Prep North Forest? What do you most like teaching at a charter school? 

SNODGRASS: This is my first year at YES Prep North First and actually the school’s first year, as well. Everything I love about teaching at YES is really about the organization itself and not about it being a charter school, since there is a very wide range of charter schools. I love how small the school is — it means I know all of the teachers, administrators and students really well. This really helps build personal relationships with students, which translates into their work in the classroom, when you see them at breakfast, lunch, on college trips and field trips, and at school and grade-level meetings, not just for 50 minutes a day in your classroom.  I also love that every single person I work with is dedicated to the same things I am — helping all of our students succeed, both at our school and in college, and constantly trying to be better at what we do. YES is very focused on improvement at all levels of the organization, and the teachers are always thinking about how we can work together to offer the best instruction to our students.  

HW: How did you view the teaching profession before entering it? Have your views changed much now that you’re in the classroom? 

SNODGRASS: I knew it would be difficult, but it was not until I began teaching that I fully realized the complexity of the profession. I am blown away by the dedication, talent and passion of teachers I have met and those I have been lucky enough to work with. 

HW: What has been your worst and best moment as a high school science teacher?

SNODGRASS: The stresses of a frequently changing schedule, large classes, and getting down the basics of classroom management while working very long days made for a challenging beginning. This helped me understand why so many teachers leave in their first few years of teaching. I’ve also had so many great moments that I see how I could love being a teacher for the rest of my life. Seeing my students grow academically and personally has been more rewarding than I could have imagined. I cannot wait to see them all graduate in three years and go on to the college of their dreams.

HW: You’ve done research on high-achieving women’s perceptions about the teaching profession. Why this topic?

SNODGRASS: As I became focused on teaching as a career, I constantly came across people who wanted to know why someone with a good education and a background in science would pursue teaching instead of science. I also realized that very few of my peers were considering teaching. This piqued my interest in understanding people’s perceptions of teaching that might either attract them to the profession or make them choose other careers, with the ultimate goal of thinking about what we need to do to attract more high-achieving men and women into the classroom. 

HW: Were you surprised by your findings? 

SNODGRASS: I was surprised and saddened by how many women were interested in teaching but turned away from it. Compared to other jobs they were considering, teaching paid less, had a much lower status and level of respect, and was perceived as difficult and stressful work. Most of these women’s peers and families discouraged them from entering the profession, as some of mine did. All of this led women to consider teaching as a heavy sacrifice.

HW: How can we recruit more skilled women into the teaching profession?

SNODGRASS: To attract skilled women into teaching and to keep them there, we need to address the perception of teaching as a personal sacrifice.Teaching has to compete with other professions that women consider with respect to salary, professional development and support. The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation is one organization working to keep talented and passionate teachers in the profession. 

HW: What advice would you give to a young woman considering a career in the teaching profession? 

SNODGRASS: If you are passionate about teaching, do not be deterred by some of the apparent negatives or what others might say. Speak to teachers to find out why they love what they do and continue to do it year after year. Then find a school and a district that will provide you with the support, collaboration and professional development to help you love your work and become the best teacher you can be. It’s going to be hard in the beginning, but stick it out and you will never regret your choice!

HOUSTON WOMAN: In your new book, 86,400: Manage Your Purpose to Make Every Second of Each Day Count, you advocate ‘purpose management.’ How is that different from time management? The benefit?

LAVAILLE LAVETTE: With time management the majority of your actions are dictated by time. With purpose management you no longer manage time… you use time, because your actions are determined by what moves you towards and what keeps you in a constant state of fulfilling your purpose. Purpose management challenges you to use those precious 86,400 seconds you are given each day in a way that engages you in activities that are relevant to fulfilling your purpose and eliminating tasks that aren’t. When you incorporate the principles of ‘86400 Purpose Management’ you will live your passion, achieve your goals, and become all you were ordained to be.

HW: When did you realize your life needed more balance? 

LAVETTE: When I found myself going from one empty success to another. Realizing my life was out of balance was not an instant discovery. My biggest hindrance to discovering a better way to balance my life was all my time management experience. I  am a recovering time-management addict, the worst kind. In fact, not only was I hooked on “to-do” lists, planners and other such tools, I was a dealer, as well — one who was paid handsomely to conduct workshops and seminars for those wanting skills to cram 36 hours of activity into a 24-hour day.

HW: In your book, you talk about the importance of not saying you don’t have enough time. You write about people known for their great contributions to society, such as Louis Pasteur and Albert Einstein, and then say our 86,400 seconds have the same amount of potential as theirs? Can you explain this concept and how it relates to all of us?

LAVETTE: Yes, I talk about Pasteur and Einstein.  I could have added Oprah, President Obama, Peyton Manning, Bill Gates, Steve Harvey and others. They maximize the time they engage in activities that reflect their passions and their purpose. They live on purpose. Our seconds are as valuable as theirs, and we have the same ability to make a difference and be the difference. What is needed is the development of what I call an 86400 Mind-Set — a conscious state or attitude that frames how you  approach each day. When you develop an 86400 Mind-Set your mind will direct you toward purpose-filled, rather than activity-filled actions. This mind-set makes your purpose the foundation out of which everything else evolves —  your goals, your schedules and your actions.

HW: How is time management like a fad diet? How can one break out of the cycle?

LAVETTE: When I was doing training in time management, some methods helped me to pack more into my day. Other techniques helped me keep track of all I had packed into my day. These tools even gave me a temporary sense of accomplishment, especially when I could mark off my list the things I was able to finish. But, as time passed, I would go back to my old habit of spending too little time on things that were important and too much time on things that weren’t? Treating time management as if it were the grapefruit diet never helped me achieve my ideal life. And time-management fads will  not maximize my time and fulfill my purpose. Only when I was able to make a change in my eating habits that was natural and sustainable was I able to achieve my weight goal. The same approach helped me maximize my daily 86400 seconds. I found it hard to be fulfilled crossing tasks off a checklist or going about my day as if I was the character Jack Bauer from the  TV program, “24,” always racing against time, beholden to what I had to get done before the clock ticked down to zero.Managing career, family and community responsibilities was overwhelming for me. Just as I had a breakthrough with my diet, I had a breakthrough several years ago with how I spent my 86400s, my days. I was able to weave together a life overflowing with intention and relevance. It was natural and sustainable. My life ultimately made sense as I began to make the most of my 86400s. What broke the cycle for me — and what will break the cycle for others — is not letting the time, the days, the seconds, be the main focus. Ask: Is this next action in line with my purpose?

HW: You offer 10 tools to use in implementing purpose management. Can you share a few of those principles with us?

LAVETTE: The transition from time management to incorporating the 10 purpose characteristics in my life put me in a place mentally, emotionally and spiritually where I could see success. Incorporating the characteristics of forgiveness, wisdom, dedication, balance, imagination, thankfulness, patience, faithfulness, generosity and courage into your daily 86400 will challenge you to look at your life from a down-and-dirty, real-deal, front-row seat.The purpose values will minister to you daily, keeping you in line and on track. However, these values are merely hollow concepts if they are not placed in conversation with the things that affect your life in deep and profound ways; the past we carry, the present we live, the future we seek and the life we’re intended to lead. In the 86400 book, I outline the meaning and effective incorporation of each purpose characteristic in your day.

HW: You’ve had a very diverse career — from special advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige to being a radio host and author. How does purpose management keep going in the right direction?  

LAVETTE: Simply put, the 86400 purpose management concept has allowed me to stop the merry-go-round and get off!  It’s more than a catch phrase to me; it’s a way of life. It has helped me to develop a laser-like focus on living each moment on purpose, which has paid personal dividends and motivated me to develop tools to help others to manage their precious 86400.  I’m still a multi-careered, skateboard riding, 40-something southern girl, but my projects have a common denominator, They ooze of my purpose and passion as an educator seeking to change lives for the better. Free of my former dead-end addiction to activity, all of my actions grow exponentially in their power and impact. 

HW: Much has been said about purpose. What does your book offer that is new?

LAVETTE: This book is an instigator for making the most of your time, your 86400 seconds each day. It will help you see life as a daily gift of 86400 seconds, so that you can achieve  real power, purpose and productivity.

No organization understands the value and vitality that enthusiastic volunteers bring to the operations of an event like the management of Rodeo Houston. CFO Jennifer Hazelton is keenly aware how volunteer manhours affect the bottom line. Her job, which includes overseeing education and membership departments — and other full-time Rodeo Houston staff members — is a year-round endeavor, which culminates in a colossal entertainment event that is seamless to the public eye when it materializes for 21 straight days in March.

HOUSTON WOMAN: What is the key role that volunteer forces play in the operation of Rodeo Houston?

JENNIFER HAZELTON: There isn’t a key role; the volunteers are the key. We would not be able to do what we do without them. Our revenue would be much lower, and expenses would be much higher.  I’m not sure we would exist in any similar form today if it were not for them.  

HW: How many volunteers are enlisted every year, and how have those numbers grown throughout the history of this celebrated annual event?

HAZELTON: During the 1950s, the show had approximately 500 volunteers. During the 1980s, around 5,000 volunteers supported the show. And when I first started at the show in 2004, we had approximately 16,000 volunteers. For the 2010 show, more than 24,000 volunteers donated their time and talents with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. We’ve added several new committees that take over new areas, and I think that accounts for a lot of the growth. We have to credit talented volunteers who are our “boots on the ground.” They made observations and created solutions to improve our operations the first few years after we settled into the new Reliant Park layout. For example, last year our volunteers took over the sales of daily grounds passes at our gates. In prior years, a staffing agency handled the sales. It saved us a lot of money, and along the way, we have improved our customer service. 

HW: How are the volunteer forces at Rodeo Houston structured? Is there a complex management system? Is it run by staff or other volunteers?

HAZELTON: As you can imagine, it would be very tough to manage a force of 24,000 volunteers without good management. One of the reasons we are so successful is the clear structure we have in our volunteer management. We have 18 volunteer vice presidents, and each manages several of the more than 100 different committees. Each committee has a chairman who is ultimately responsible for the day-to-day operations of his or her committee. The committees then have a management hierarchy consisting of vice chairmen, captains and assistant captains. The numbers of these vary, depending on the size and function of the committees. Most of the committees have subcommittees managed by the vice chairman who manages certain aspects of the committee’s responsibility. The volunteer management roles are one-year appointments, which ensures that there are opportunities for everyone, helping to keep our volunteers motivated.

HW: Would you describe the diverse functions and opportunities available to those who would like to be a volunteer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo? 

HAZELTON: If you name it, we probably have a committee that does it. We have sales committees that sell memberships, rodeo tickets, carnival tickets and solicit corporate donations for scholarships. We have several committees that get donors to pre- commit to buying at our junior auctions. Probably the only thing we don’t pre-sell is the fried food. But, give us a few years, and we probably will.Our working committees are our secret weapon. When I talk to financial people at other fairs and events they are blown away by the amount of work we get done by volunteers. We have committees that make sure the grounds are clean, get equipment donations and then manage that equipment during the show, assist our commercial exhibitors and give tours to schoolchildren. Volunteers are here to greet and help the kids with their livestock when they are moving their animals in (when most of Houston is asleep). During the show, I’m often here early to prepare information for our daily operations meeting, thinking how tired I am as I’m driving there. Then I pull on the grounds and realize there are several hundred volunteers who have beat me here. Sometimes they are standing in the rain, smiling and waving at me as I drive in.  They are all so excited to be here and you can see it on their faces. It is amazing how much value a smile has when it comes to customer service. 

HW: Can you estimate how many total volunteer hours are spent on these activities or estimate the dollar value of their actions? 

HAZELTON: Each year, volunteers at Rodeo Houston collectively work more than 1.62 million hours, based on an average of 67.8 hours per volunteer. If we paid our volunteers $20.85 per hour, the estimated value of the volunteer hour (per independentsector.org), that would represent nearly $34 million worth of donated hours each year! 

HW: In your opinion, what motivates people to take time away from their careers and busy daily lives to volunteer? 

HAZELTON: If you ask the volunteers why they do it, most likely the first thing out of their mouths will be, “it’s for the kids.”  I think everyone today understands the importance and value of education, in general, but also the value of getting a college degree.  Our initial mission in 1932 was to promote livestock and agriculture in a public fair environment. We added the education and scholarship aspect in the late 1950s. I think the education component helps us reach more of the “city folk” volunteers who may not know much about agriculture or livestock.The second biggest reason for volunteering is probably the social aspect. Serving on one of the committees is a great way to meet and get to know people. A lot of our older volunteers will tell you their closest friends and/or their spouses were on committees with them 30 years ago.  Not only do you make friends, but networking is also a great way to network professionally. I have some friends who have gotten new jobs and even changed careers because of contacts they have made at the show. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is probably Houston’s largest unofficial networking service.