Page 28 - January 2019 Voices

LEANNA LISTENS

Jo Anna Shaw, DTM
Empowering People

of All Ages

Leanna Lindquist, DTM

Please provide some background as to receivable lines of credit. I started out visiting
where you grew up, advanced education, managers and giving instruction individually.
career, where you live. In other words, One day the head of our department invited
tell us about Jo Anna about fifteen managers to the head office and set

I was born in Rhode Island. My folks moved up a formal group training, which my supervisor
to the Northern California Bay Area when I was and I were to present. At that presentation, I froze.
four. The oldest of five, my brother and sisters I couldn’t say my name and couldn’t hold my
were born within six years of me. Dad was a hand still enough to drink water. In that painful

Marine Corp Major and mom was a Navy Nurse, moment, I sat down and my supervisor did the
a Lieutenant. I learned early on that children are whole presentation on his own.
to be seen and not heard. My dad died when I was When I returned to my office, the department
17. I didn’t want to be a burden on my mother, head called me into his office. Embarrassed

who was left to raise 5 teenagers, so I moved and distraught, I thought my career was over at
out, went to college, got a job and did my best 28. He suggested I go see a counselor and join
to move on. Toastmasters. To this day I still stay in touch with
My first career was in banking. I was recruited him and honor him for his support and guidance

out of my accounting class at college to become at the time. Going to Toastmasters enabled me to
one of the first women management trainees become a corporate lender and a vice president
at Bank of America. It was the early seventies, level leader in banking.
when leadership level doors were just opening for
women and minorities in business. To be the only You are a Mind Body Coach. Tell us what
woman management level employee challenged you do.

me to be confident and to communicate well. In the late 80s, twenty years into my career,
the industry downsized significantly to absorb
What brought you to Toastmasters? the financial repercussions of bad real estate

About five years into my career, I was part loans made by the Savings and Loans institutions.
of a team at another major bank that would We went through five reorganizations within
teach other managers how to structure accounts three years as the bank I worked for bought and

28 ONE COMMUNITY