Be the change you want to see. That's the motto Denise Chapel lives by and what encourages her to continue striving for leadership roles in her career and community.
Voices of Infuence
Jefferson City is lucky to have generations of women who have tremendous impacts on their companies and the community. Five women are featured in the Oct. 29, 2018, issue of #jcmo Inside Business as "Voices of Influence" in the business community.Chapel works as the director of vendor relations at Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan, where she oversees compliance responsibilities for medical, pharmacy, vision and dental vendors for state employees, retirees and public entities. Prior to that, she worked as a project manager for the organization and has been there since 2010.
"As the industry changes and the business' needs changed, so did my role," she said. "So, instead of managing all of the projects internally, I took it to a more external role - what I knew we had to do internally and ensure that our vendors were able to administer on our behalf. It's a slight migration from what I used to do as far as deadlines and deliverables and critical milestones, but you still use those same skill sets to see this very large contract and be able to bring it into small chunks and make sure it is administered effectively."
Chapel is also a familiar face around Jefferson City because of the various organizations in which she is involved. She serves as president of the State and Local Governments Benefits Association, immediate past president of the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission, vice chair of Missouri Girls Town, and chair of the Women in the NAACP - Jefferson City, among other various organizations.
She has also been involved with the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.
Chapel threw herself into community service shortly after moving to Jefferson City.
"It was difficult to break into the many Jefferson City circles. So to better understand the community - its needs and where I fit - I engaged in service," she said. "I have since met some amazing people and now have some lifelong friends. I often hear people complain about things, but I believe in being the change you want to see."
With two sons growing up in the community, she has been encouraging them to engage with the community. She brings them to several community service events, where they can help out.
"It's still one community, one city, one state, one nation, under God," she said. "So, ultimately, one small thing can change the world; but you've got to be involved, but you can't sit back and think about it. Eventually you're going to have to dig in and roll up your sleeves and do the work."
Editor's note: Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q. Who influenced you early in your career and how did they do so?
"My biggest supporter and example was my mother. She has shown me in more ways than I can describe how to be. My former boss (Sarah Steelman) when I first moved to Jefferson City encouraged me to use the skill sets that I already had to explore new roles (and) possibilities, which opened doors to other opportunities. She was always a strong advocate for doing right because it was the right thing to do, not because it is always popular."
Q. What drives you as a businesswoman?
"I want my kids to be proud of me, and I want my husband to be proud, my parents to be proud. A title is just a title. Who you are, that's what makes people truly draw to you. I may not be liked all the time, but I sure want to be respected, and you don't get that from a lack of hard work, discipline and determination. If I could just will it for my kids and the next generation - that grit, that 'get back up when you get knocked down' - that's what drives me."
Q. How do you want to influence your company or the community?
"I've always looked at, 'How can we build people?' and more importantly, 'How do we help build up women?' because women help change households, they change neighborhoods, they change communities and they can change the world. What I can do is use the center of influence we have in this community to help spread the word of the need, and I can be there when there is a need and show up and help support."
Q. What advice would you give to young women starting a career?
"Be true to yourself, and by that, I mean be honest with yourself. There are things that are a great fit, but there are certain things that tax me, drain me. Go toward the things that give you energy. Be the change you want to see. So many people look at things as a negative, (so) take that negative and say, 'What role could I play to turn it into something positive?'"
This article appears in the Oct. 29, 2018 issue of #jcmo Inside Business.