Shop Talk: Q&A With Patty Zillian Eppinger, Ecotarium
Photo/Christina H. Davis
Patty Eppinger, Board Chair, Ecotarium
Since moving to the Worcester area with her husband Frederick Eppinger — president and CEO of The Hanover Insurance Co. of Worcester — Patty Zillian Eppinger has been a high-profile member of local nonprofit boards. She chairs the board at Worcester’s Ecotarium and is a member of the board for Worcester Academy, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and the Worcester Education Collaborative. She’s also on the organizing committee of the Women’s Initiative of the United Way of Central Massachusetts. She brings a healthy business background to her volunteer work, including her experience working at McKinsey & Co., a management consulting firm. Here, she talks about what characteristics she looks for in a nonprofit organization, as well as what she thinks the for-profit world can learn from not-for-profits.
>> What is it that attracts you to get involved with an organization?
My interest areas lie in children, education and animals. I really gravitate towards things that improve the city and the region. Also it helps if I have a sense that an organization is well run. You don’t have time to evaluate every organization out there, so if you feel like the leadership is talented — then you feel better about being involved.
>> What perspective do you bring to nonprofit boards?
I think probably two things. One is that I do think my business background helps. I think I’m able to look at things fairly objectively. People who start nonprofits tend to have a great passion about something. But then I think people who lead and continue the work need to understand the marketing aspect, the financial aspect... It’s also important to understand overlap — where your organization is going to be best to serve some area versus another organization. The other thing I bring is perspective. Because we’ve lived in a lot of cities over the years, I have experience seeing how other organizations operate.
WEB EXCLUSIVE>> There is a great temptation for nonprofit board members to micromanage. How do you avoid that?
I think having had a lot of work in strategy has helped. You need to understand what the strategic issues that the board really should oversee and which ones are the day-to-day issues that that senior executive team needs to be responsible for. I think you just have to keep reminding yourself and step back. It's a hard balance but I also think the best leaders at not-for-profits know when to go to the board and know when things should be handled by staff.
>> How many cities have you lived in?
We’ve lived in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Hartford and then here, Worcester. They were all great cities and all wonderful in terms of the not-for-profits. But I can say that I found that in Worcester — more than any place we’ve lived — not-for-profits and their executives are excited about people becoming involved. I think that’s a real asset.
>> What do you think the for-profit sector can learn from nonprofits?
I think that’s a great question because usually people look at it other way around. I think probably two things. One is to really have that passion for something. Don’t make something or don’t produce a good or service just for the sake of doing it, but actually know that there are people out there that need it. The other is to rally people around you. You can really find collaborative opportunities if you look for them. I think the not-for-profits do collaboration well, and that’s something for-profits can learn.
>> You’ve taught MBA-level classes at Dartmouth and MIT in communications. What do you think are the most common communication mistakes managers make?
I think people underestimate the need for honesty. I think it goes a long way when something happens that you admit that an error was made. Once you acknowledge the mistake, you can just focus on fixing it instead of trying to cover it up or ignore it.
>> You previously worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Co. Did you enjoy the role of the consultant?
For my own interest and personality, I think being a consultant is a great role. I love to figure out what’s going on and I love to figure out ways to improve things. But I’m definitely more of a builder than a maintainer. I think that in some ways that’s probably why board roles make sense for me. You can oversee what’s going on, you can use what you’ve learned to make improvements, but then you can leave the day-to-day to somebody who has talents in that area.
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