Centers People

In honor of National Women’s History Month, CENTERS wants to thank the exceptional women in our company – we would not be where we are today with out each and every one of you. As a company that currently manages 10 sites, we are proud to say that 60% of our directors are female. We took some time to pick their brains on how working for CENTERS has impacted their professional careers and to lend some advice for future leaders. Up first is CENTERS’ very first employee, Maureen McGonagle, better known as Moe, the Director of Campus Recreation at CENTERS, LLC at DePaul University.

Moe was hired by CENTERS in 1998 and has been leading the troops at our very first site, DePaul University, for 22.5 years. When asked what has kept her coming back each and every day, Moe replied with “I appreciate our focus on excellence and innovation, and the flexibility in the approach to our work. I also appreciate the support.” Moe has operated under a specific business plan every year and she has consistently innovated to deliver value to DePaul by converting concepts into efficiently delivered programs.

Can you talk about how the CENTERS Culture with POI, our commitment to Better is Better, our Quest for X, and cross-site collaboration opportunities helps motivate you to continue learning and growing within the CENTERS organization?

CENTERS actively nurtures a growth mindset, and we are proactive in creating opportunities to excel. There are a variety of mechanisms (Quest for X, Better is Better) to provide ongoing challenge and support, and we’re always looking for, and creating, opportunities that strengthen our team and our company.

What women inspire you, and which of CENTERS’ core values/attributes do they exemplify most?

My daughter inspires me; she is passionate, dedicated, and fierce when faced with adversity. She relentlessly pursues excellence, and is always looking for ways to improve herself and the organizations she works with. Although she is not a CENTERS employee, she embodies our core values and is a reminder to me of what we are trying to be as a company.

How do you feel having strong and respected women leaders in the company attracts women and minority talent to the company?

An individual’s commitment to an organization is strongest when there is a sense of belonging, which goes a step beyond the goals of diversity and inclusion. When people with different experiences have a true voice in our leadership, it proves our commitment and helps align our intent with our impact. This active role modeling is also an important aspect of talent development.

How does working for CENTERS help you overcome common challenges and inefficiencies that campus recreation professionals that work outside the company live with?

There are many development opportunities that we are able to offer our staff that are much more difficult to provide within a normal university bureaucracy. An example — at Centers @ DePaul we give our full-time staff frequent opportunities to switch job responsibilities (partial or full job swaps) as a way to keep them engaged, challenged, and constantly growing. We’ve been able to prioritize our staff experience, which ultimately allows us to better serve our students and the university community.

What are the most important competencies that younger women professionals need to acquire to become the next generation of leaders in the industry?

In my experience women tend to underestimate (and be less confident in) their skills and abilities compared to men. Supervisors can help emerging women leaders identify and leverage their strengths, and help boost their confidence.

If someone asked you to describe CENTERS, what would you say?

“As the university’s largest employer of student workers – more than 140 student employees – Campus Rec holds a special responsibility in shaping students’ futures beyond DePaul.”

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