Board Member Spotlight: Michael Gillette
Michael and his wife, Jodi, moved to Lynchburg in 1990 when Michael accepted a teaching position in the Philosophy Department at Randolph Macon Woman’s College. After earning tenure and rising to the rank of Associate Professor, Michael decided to leave his teaching post to pursue a full time career in Clinical Ethics, providing consulting expertise to a variety of different healthcare organizations around the country. Michael served three terms as a member of Lynchburg City Council and served four years as the city’s mayor. Jodi and Michael have two daughters, Rachel and Rebecca, and one granddaughter, Teva.
How did you first hear about Miriam’s House?
I’m not sure when I first heard about Miriam’s House, but I certainly became much more aware about the organization when I served on City Council. Through that work, it became clear that Miriam’s House is a strong contributor to the community and that it does its very important work with great care and expertise.
Why did you choose to volunteer your time and expertise as a board member at MH?
Volunteering to join the Miriam’s House board was a “no brainer”. The work is so important, the staff is so talented and dedicated, and the impact on the community is so transformative that I was happy to assist the organization in any way that I could.
What are you most proud in regards to the work of MH?
I am extremely proud of the fact that Miriam’s House not only satisfies its own mission so well, but that it also organizes a community-wide response to homelessness and encourages all the involved stakeholders to do their best.
What is something that you wish more people in this community knew about homelessness?
I wish that everyone knew how carefully Miriam’s House considers its role in responding to housing challenges and that it constantly re-evaluates and evolves its mission to meet the continually changing face of homelessness in our region. Homelessness is a major challenge that can hit different demographic groups in different ways. It is essential that we adjust our response as conditions change.
Tell us one thing most people don’t know about you?
I recently took up a new hobby—watchmaking. If tinkering with such tiny machinery doesn’t stress my vision too much, it should be a lot of fun.