CEOs You Should Know- American Diabetes Association

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Episode Transcript

(00:02):
iHeartMedia Presents CEOs you should know.Hi. I am Don dnk former president
publisher of the Baltimore Business Journal andnow founder and CEO of Dnkle Business Development.
This is Iheartradios CEOs you should know, and I'm here today with Chuck
Henderson, CEO of the American DiabetesAssociation. Welcome Jackin, Thanks for being
here. Hey John, thank youso much. Job. You're very excited

(00:24):
to be on your podcast today.Me as well. Yeah, I'm looking
forward to our conversation. Let's beginby getting to know you in the organization
a little bit. So for thosewho may not be familiar, can you
tell us a little bit more aboutthe American Diabetes Association. Absolutely, the
mission of the ADA, the AmericanDiabetes Association is to prevent, incure diabetes
and improve the lives of all peopleaffected by diabetes. And just John,

(00:49):
I mean, our mission has neverbeen more urgent than it is now.
You know, over one hundred andthirty three million Americans currently live with diabetes
or pre diabetes, and one inAmerican is diagnosed with diabetes every twenty three
seconds. And I do want tocall out you know, having started at
the ADA in January, of twentytwenty, you know, there were one

(01:11):
hundred and twenty two million people livingwith diabetes and pre diabetes and just and
now one hundred and thirty three millionpeople living with divies. So I mean
this is this is an epidemic oflarge proportion. So yep, yeah,
that's that's unbelievable. Talk about someof the programs offered by the American Diabetes
Association. Yeah, so so theADA, And that's a great question.

(01:32):
The ADA offers a variety of programsaimed at education, management, prevention of
diabetes. I mean, we havea lot of programs, and so I
will just highlight a couple, butone of our large programs for youth and
adults is Project Power, which isa no cost lifestild lifestyle change program that
empowers adults and children to reduce theirrisk or to manage and thrive with type

(01:55):
two diabetes. Another program that Ireally really love, and uh, you
know this is really new and dearto my heart is our American Diabetes and
Social as KITS camps, which aredesigned to facilitate a traditional summer camp experience
for children living with diabetes. Andso our camps offer really medically safe environment

(02:15):
with doctors on staff, a lotof medically trained volunteers, while we create
opportunities for children to forge lifelong relationshipsand really learn important skills for managing their
diabetes. And then you know,lastly, through our health equity work,
we go on to local communities toaddress health and equities and social determinants of

(02:36):
health because you know, at theEIGHTYA, we believe everybody deserves a right
to equitable access to life saving opportunitiesfor diabetes prevention, care and medication.
We have some you know, wonderfulpartnerships that you know, we are in
the community and absolutely uh you know, meeting people where they are. And

(02:57):
then you know, as a cornerstone, you know, what we do is
to supportant research that improves the lifeof people living with diabetes. That's great,
Thank you appreciate you sharing that,and yeah, with one hundred and
thirty three million people affected, talkabout the impact that you have on the
communities you serve. I imagine obviouslyyou're you're in just about you know,

(03:17):
every major set of every major community. Talk about the impact there that you
guys are having. Yeah, Soin terms of the impact on the community,
I mean throughout eighty a cams,as I mentioned, health and wellness
programming, food and nutrition offerings,educational resources. I mean, we directly
support hundreds of thousands of people affectedby diabuties and free diabetes across the country

(03:39):
all day, every day, andso and it doesn't include the indirect support
provided to people affected by diabetes.So our advocacy and research programs as well
as through the resources we provide tohealthcare professionals. And so I'm really proud
to actually talk about, you knowwhat our advocacy team got done. And

(04:00):
almost a year ago we actually gotinsulin tapped at thirty five dollars on the
midicare side. And so I meanthat that is huge because you had you
know, elderly people, older peopleat home that were rationing their insulin when
there's supposed to you know, havea a regular cadence of taking there their
insidance. So you know, thatwas huge and uh, we hope to

(04:21):
get it passed from a commercial standpointsoon as well. That's great, that's
great. And you know, beinga large nonprofit, I imagine you know
you also you know have support fromfrom volunteers across the community. What what
kind of volunteers opportunities are there thatyou know, someone out in the community

(04:44):
can help with. In regard toAmerican Diabetes Association, Yeah, thank you
for that, if ADA. Youknow, we always talk about, you
know that it takes all of usto fight diabetes, which means there's a
role that everyone can play in thisfight, you know, whether it's given
time and talent or resources. Uh. Some of the opportunities we have for
people to volunteer their time include staffand our signatory events like our walks at

(05:09):
our cycling events, volunteering at ourcamps as I mentioned earlier, and advocating
for our policies that support people livingwith diabetes, you know. And uh,
you know, I would encourage everyonethat wants to get involved, uh
to go to diabetes dot org,dot slash, get dashed involved and so
you know, we you know,we turn no one away. You know,

(05:30):
all volunteers are welcomed. That's great, Thank you. I appreciate you
sharing that. And and you know, how are you guys funded? You
know, I imagine obviously you knowthere's part of that is through grants and
you know, through through the governmentobviously, through funding you know, individual
donations and corporate sponsorships. Talk talkto us a little bit about the funding

(05:53):
model for American Diabetes Association. Yes, we we rely on the financial support
JOHN from individuals and organizations, includinggovernment as you mentioned, private foundations and
other nonprofit organizations and corporations to helpus advance our mission. Got it?
And what's how can how can thebusiness community get involved? I know there's

(06:15):
events that you guys put on eachyear and various communities around the country,
But what are some good good waysthat the business community can help. Yeah,
as I've mentioning, we rely onfinancial support from a variety of supporters
UH to make our research and programmingpossible from an ADA standpoint, So definitely
one way to help support the ADAprograms. A couple other ways businesses can

(06:41):
help is to get their employees involvedthrough volunteering or participating in our signature walking
and cycling event which raises funds forthe ADA. And then lastly, finally,
you know, is to raise awarenessabout the mission of the ADA and
the diabetes UH epidemic to help usbend the curve on that. That's great,
Thank you appreciate that. So changingdirections a little bit, tell us

(07:04):
a little bit about your your personalbackground. How did you get to this
point in your career? Yeah,oh, you know, John, thanks
for that question. I mean,I really feel like my life has come
full circle. Growing up in anunderserved community. My mom and dad were
both educators. My mom taught nursingfor forty two years, and I you
know, never thought in my wildestimagination that you know, I would I

(07:27):
would be leading a large volunteer healthcareorganization like the American Diabetes Association. And
then, you know, having familymembers impacted by diabetes from as long as
I can remember. I mean,my uncle and my grandmother passed away from
complications of diabetes. My uncle hada couple foot and toe imputations before you

(07:49):
pass away, you know. Andthen personally, you know, having gone
gone, gone through adversity personally andprofessionally, you have really molded me,
you know, into really take onthis few challenges. And then and then
lastly, you know, I've I'vegot to give credit, you know,
uh to the people that helped me, you know, get to this point.
You know, having great mentors andcoaches along the way really pushed me

(08:13):
mentally and then physically, I youknow, I was a collegiate athlete.
I played basketball at Texas A andM and so you know, you know,
just you know, from from fromthose instances in my life. You
know, I think really you knowuh uh uh you know, uh have
really armed me with the tools uhto lead this fight uh on behalf of
people live with diabetes. Yeah.And your background too, is more I'm

(08:39):
kind of the development side, theyou know, the business side of things,
the sales side and business development.And how has that you know,
you typically someone my perception is,and knowing other CEOs and nonprofits around the
country, they tend to come frommore of the programming side or educational side.
What your background in sales and marketingand you know, how has that?

(09:05):
How has that? Has that beenan advantage? I guess is what
I'm saying for you to be inthis leadership position, in that role,
yeah, I would say absolutely,John, I would say, you know,
having that quote unquote kind of nontraditional background, having you know,
really cut my teeth in nonprofit,I think it's been a huge advantage.
And uh, I mean I thinkyou know, it's it's actually happening now,

(09:26):
you know more more, you know, leaders from the for profit sector
are actually going into the non profitsector. Yea, I think that,
you know, you have to puta business sensibility. Uh, at the
end of the day, you know, no money, no mission, no
mission, right and and and andand and so you know, I know
what I don't know, But butwhat I know from a from a for

(09:48):
profit standpoint is that it's all aboutresults. You know. Yes, you
have to you know, lead withempathy and and uh, you know,
you have to really be be acure. I mean, I mean,
you know, really be clear,you know, on your mission and your
vision. You know, but I'mI'm really results or in it. And
and so I think that that,you know, really gives me, you

(10:09):
know, a leg up in theAmerican Diabetes Association. Yeah, that's cool.
I appreciate you sharing all that.Yeah. I love talking about leadership
on the show too. How wouldyou describe your leadership style? Yeah,
you know, that's a that's agreat question. I would say one,
Uh, you know, being beingvery inclusive is a strength I would say

(10:31):
in our in our diverse and dynamicorganization, inclusiveness is not just a moral
imperative, but it's a teachable advantage. And I would say by embracing a
wide range of perspectives. You know, it allows us to innovate more creatively
and address the needs of our diverseclientele more effectively. And then I would
also say every voice matters, andso inclusively the means that we're tapping into

(10:54):
the full potential of our eight Ateam and leveraging a variety of the experiences
and insight to absolutely drive our missionforward. And then I would say,
you know, people first culture.I would say, you know, in
a people first culture is really thebedrock of our organization. I mean,
we're a volunteer lad organization, andso when we prioritize the well being and

(11:18):
development of our team, I thinkwe see a higher engagement, better performance,
and lower turnover. And then Iwould say, you know, be
a power of listening. And soI would say, as a leader,
I believe that, you know,I absolutely believe in the power listening.
And so it's through listening that welearn the needs, ideas, and concerns
of our team. And so Ihave an open door policy, open line

(11:41):
of communication. I believe Foster's youknow, an environment of trust and collaboration.
And then you know, I wouldsay, you know, leading by
example, I would say that myleadership style is just not about setting expectations
but also leading by example, andso I strive to absolutely embody the values
of inclusiveness, of empathy, andclarity in my actions as a leader.

(12:03):
And I really think that that,you know, sets the standard for our
organizational culture. And just leading fromthe front side in the back, you
know, means that I'm there toguide and collaborate so that we ensure as
a team that we're moving forward togethertowards our objectives. Yeah. That's great.
Yeah, and it's interesting. Youknow, you started with the American

(12:26):
Diabetes Association in January twenty twenty,man, right before the pandemic hit,
and then became you know, CEOin twenty twenty two. Man, what
did you learn about managing and kindof communication and leading through that time?
Yeah, well, I'll tell you, John, I mean I kind of
had a I kind of had aoh my god moment, you know.

(12:48):
I started, you know, inJanuary twenty twenty, and then a month
or two later, you know,we we thought the world was going to
come to an ed and so butwhat I do do think it allowed me
to you know, even gain moreskills, and so I took you know,
a lot of lessons away from thepandemic, from both personally and professionally.

(13:09):
And one big thing professionally that Ithink many leaders learned is when we
face something such as large and widereaching scale, that we have to come
together to find solutions. We needto check our egos at the door and
work across organizations to move the needle. And I think that that translates really
well when we talk about fighting foran end of diabetes, because it takes

(13:31):
individuals and organizations come together to actuallyreally make that happen. And so,
you know, going going back froman ADA standpoint, the ADA is a
trusted source and a convener, butwe can't do it alone. And so
I think what COVID showed you isis because we thought the world was gonna
like literally come to an end,you saw everybody check their egos at the

(13:54):
end right to come up with thevaccine. It didn't matter what it costs,
it didn't matter, it just itjust we were like, we have
to make this happen. And thatwas kind of a seminal moment in our
culture that we can work together.Yeah, that's great. I appreciate you
sharing all that. That's awesome,and you know, from from a labor
perspective, and when you think about, you know, a national nonprofit and

(14:16):
are you seeing is that difficult tokind of hire into a nonprofit right now?
You know what? What are youseeing out there? Are there a
lot of young people that want toget into that profession and in that industry?
What's kind of your what's kind ofyour view from the labor perspective.
Yeah, So, you know,first I want to say that, you

(14:37):
know, we we really have talentedemployees who are passionate about our mission.
And because of our mission and thework that we do, you know,
people are seeking us out, youknow, wanting to work for the ADA.
As with many other organizations. Youknow, there are roles from time
to time where the competition for talentis more competitive than others. But I

(14:58):
can't say, I don't know anyother way to be trans transparent. I
can't say when I first got tothe ADA was very difficult to find talented
employees. But I do think that, you know, people are absolutely watching
us from the outside and seeing theuh, the great work that that we're
doing and an association, and soI think people are really you know,

(15:20):
are really curious about how we're doingwhat we were doing, you know,
and I'm pleased to say that,you know, I'm I've been getting a
lot of outreach about really talented folksthat want to join our team and join
our mission. That's great, That'sgreat. So, so what gets you
excited about the future of the AmericanDiabetes Association. So one thing I'm really

(15:43):
really excited about, John, isall the research that that that we are
enabling and sharing and there's some wonderfuladvances and technology for a managing diabetes as
well as them cell research, youknow, to get us closer to to
a cure. I'm also you know, very excited about uh these weight loss
therapies uh that are that are outthere. I mean, I think that

(16:03):
you know that that that that they'reabsolutely game changers when when used in the
right way under a care of aphysician. You know. But the next
step is is that we have tomake these therapies you know, more accessible
and more affordable, you know,to the people that really need them the
most, and so that we continueto meet people where they are. Yeah,
all right, well, well,conversely, thank you, And conversely,

(16:26):
what what what keeps up at night? So I would say, you
know, the the you know,biggest challenge you know that we're facing is
that die. Diabetes, as Imentioned earlier, is an absolute epidemic,
you know, and so also mentionedearlier that you know, one American is
diagnosed with diabetes every twenty three threeseconds. So for me, I like
to move with speed, so wecan't let our foot off the off the

(16:49):
pedal in raising awareness about prevention andmanagement of diabetes. And they're finding the
cure, and so you know,I guess I would say, also know
that I'm really looking for that youknow, big, big, you know,
transformational gift. And so if ifMackenzie Bezos is listening, or if
Bill Gates is listening, you know, we would love, you know,

(17:11):
we would love we would love abig transformational gift that can just you know,
you know, really allow us todo more, to do it faster,
to do it better, to doit more efficiently. I love it.
I love it. Well, isthere anything else that you'd like our
listeners to know about you and theAmerican Diabetes Association? So I would say

(17:32):
that, you know, I meanagain, I'm I'm I'm gonna sound like
a like a broken record, butthe American Diabetes dozation, you know,
is on the front lines in thefight in diabetes. But again, it
takes all of us. And soyou know, you know, your listeners,
your your large followers, you knowyou can help, you know,
make a difference, you know,in the lives of millions, and so

(17:52):
you know, I'm actually hoping oneday that the eighty eight won't be needed
and I can work myself out ofa job because we have found you know.
But until then, you know,we are very passionate about this fight
and appreciate everyone's support. So thankyou, thank you, thank you ya,
thank you. Yeah, and lastly, tell us how we can find
more information about the American Diabetes Association. Yeah, I will say. People

(18:15):
can learn more about the EIGHTYA byvisiting diabetes dot org and for more information
on the various ways to get involvedwith our association to help us move our
mission forward, please visit diabetes dotorg, backslash get dashed involved and you
know, absolutely we welcome everyone.Well great, well man, Chuck,

(18:37):
thank you so much for taking thetime to talk to us today. I
really appreciate the conversation and enjoyed learningmore about American Diabetes association and more about
you and your role as the CEOthere. So thank you so much for
taking the time out today. Yeah, thank you so much, John,
and have a fantastic day has been. iHeartMedia CEOs. You should know