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PAGE 8 September 2019 Richard's 'Servant-Leader' Approach Propels HCC & Clinics as National Models By Tonia Wright, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Toniann Richard, CEO of Health Care Collaborative (HCC) of Rural Missouri, is part of a lineage of crop and beef producers. Raised in Herington, Kan., just south of Junction City, her grandfather advocated for farmers and even ran for local office. At the time, her mother, a beauty salon owner, was a registered Democrat. "That's when my mom said she changed her voter registration to Republican because 'Grandpa was running for office and he couldn't have me not be on his side,'" Richard said. Although he didn't win the seat, it's evident that his penchant for advocacy is a trait his granddaughter shares. Richard's role in community service began early. Although it came with some starts and stops, she's managed to not only make a name for herself, but also for the Lexington, Mo.-based nonprofit she runs. Hired and Fired Back in Herington, a strong work ethic wasn't something you talked about; it was something inherent. Richard, still in middle school when she landed her first job at her mom's salon, learned the hard way there would be no free rides. "The deal was I had to answer phones, dust the retail shelves, sweep the hair, run errands, and not be a brat and argue with my mom," she said. In return, Richard got part of the afternoon free to walk to the community pool and hang out with friends. Later in the afternoon, she'd return to the salon, help clean up and head home. "For about a week, I was being a brat and she fired me," Richard said. "At the time, I thought, 'Sweet. I don't have to work anymore.' Well, I didn't realize she was my ticket to town, which was kind of my pay. The tough thing about being fired is that I had to stay home and help my dad and brother on the farm and clean the house. That taught me a lesson – even my mom will kick me to the curb for being lazy." Richard was rehired a couple weeks later. "I worked my butt off," she said. "I didn't want to lose my ride to town to hang out at the pool with my friends." Building Bridges Richard's ability to connect and create relationships was evident even at Herington High School, where she was student body president and winter homecoming queen. Although she came from a family of Kansas State University alumni, she deviated from Purple Pride and attended Baker University, a private Christian school in Baldwin City, Kan. Richard was a part of Baker's education program, where she taught preschool for three years. By the time she approached practicums her junior year, Richard had a change of heart and switched to the business program. This transition afforded the opportunity to work closely with Baker's then vice president of development, Jerry Weakley. As a student intern, she watched how he cultivated relationships, a move that would serve her well later. After graduation, she landed her first job with the American Cancer Society (ACS), fundraising for its Relay for Life program. "This is where I met Stephanie Weiter, who is still a dear friend and close colleague," Richard said. "She taught me how to develop cohesive teams and how to be a strong female leader in the workplace." After marrying her husband Pat, head football coach at Oak Grove High School in Missouri, Richard took a hiatus to figure out her next steps. "Pat and I had just gotten married, and I took a job at a daycare because I thought I wanted to open my own daycare facility," she said. "Pat thought it would be a good idea for me to work for a daycare first to see if it was going to be a fit. I got a job managing a before-and-after school program. The kids and I had a blast, but it lasted 90 days. It wasn't for me." Learning the Ropes Soon after, Richard landed a position as membership director for an area YMCA. She later moved to an executive role at what was then the Clay-Platte YMCA, supervising the entire operation. There, she met other strong mentors including former University of Central Missouri football coach Terry Noland, Gary Linn, who is still leading teams at the YMCA of Greater Kansas City, and Sarah Reese, who currently serves as area vice president for the YMCA of San Diego County. Richard watched Noland problem solve and navigate difficult situations. And Reese taught Richard that knowing her strengths is one thing but knowing her weaknesses is so much more valuable. Fully vested in her role at the YMCA, Richard was hands-on even when she was out of the office. The YMCA was open from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. It was also open seven days a week. "A blessing or a curse, I made myself available to people," Richard said. "My daughter Grace was recognizing that whenever the phone rang, it was work…and that was going to take me away from whatever was going on with her. I was working evenings and weekends. I felt like my family was falling apart. I had walked away from things that mattered to me the most. I wasn't involved in church like I had been previously. There was a distance from my family back at home because of the reality of working all the time. The big thing was, whenever the phone rang, Grace would lose it." Divine Intervention It was apparent that something needed to change. "It was the weirdest thing. One night, I was driving home from work, thinking, 'I just can't do this,'" she said. "In the Richmond Daily News, there was an ad for an executive director position at HCC. I couldn't figure out how to apply online, but there was a phone number. It was about 10 o'clock at night and I thought, 'Well, I'll call this phone number and leave a message and maybe get a call back the next day.' Someone picked up and it totally caught me off guard because I was preparing the voicemail message in my head." The interim executive director who answered the phone also worked for a Lexington, Mo.-based law firm and had stepped in to keep the nonprofit going. "I can talk right now if you can," she told Richard. They spoke for nearly an hour that night. "That's how fast it happened. And I remember being so excited about the potential for this job because there were so many possibilities. I could see the potential for me in a place like this," Richard said. After interviewing three times and discovering she and then Lafayette Regional Health Center CEO, Bret Kolman, had an instant connection, Richard got the job and gave notice at the YMCA. "In 2007," Kolman said, "I was on the board of a small health care related nonprofit in Lafayette County. We had less than $250,000 a year in grants, no other revenue streams, and big ideas. We had less than 60 days cash on hand, and 2.5 FTEs (full-time employees). When our director left, I was on the committee that helped interview candidates. One person stood head and shoulders above the crowd: Toniann. I credit hiring Toniann as one of my best sales jobs and greatest hires in my career." Kolman is now CEO of Independence, Mo.-based Centerpoint Medical Center.