Name: Jennifer Sampson
Title: President and CEO
Company: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
The first woman to lead the local United Way, Jennifer Sampson oversees the largest non-governmental funder of programs to improve education, income, and health in four North Texas counties. Sampson previously served as the nonprofit’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer, strengthening the group’s financial management, expanding its technology systems, and improving its internal controls. The CPA also is a member of the Crystal Charity Ball Committee and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Dallas.
What do you enjoy most about what you do? When you work with people who have great talent and great passion, great things happen. The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas story is about bringing together some of the most passionate and talented people in the Metroplex to focus on issues, solutions, and funding that result in good lives for all the people of Dallas. Even more importantly, it’s a story about building a community in which people have an opportunity to lift themselves up through their hard work and responsibility. People will have the chance to live stable lives, providing for families and hoping for the future. Children will have the opportunity to learn in classrooms that are creative, orderly, and well-managed by teachers who have high expectations for the success of their students. And all will have the chance to live in healthy circumstances, eating nutritious food, and continuing to be physically active and fit from childhood to old age. I enjoy believing that and working to make it so, as we reinvent the United Way you thought you knew.
What’s the toughest challenge you’ve had to overcome? I suspect every working person who has a family will tell you it’s balancing family life with the constant demands of the job. Days start very early and they end late. There’s a series of trade-offs and sacrifices. Being the CEO of any organization is not a 9-5 job. I haven’t overcome the challenges—don’t expect I ever will—but I think about it and work on it 24/7.
What’s your proudest moment? 03.19.04. 7:12 p.m. The moment my son Hilton Edward Sampson entered the world.
What’s the best business advice you can offer? Find the smartest people you can—people who inspire you. Surround yourself with them, follow them, and become a life-long learner. Raise your hand—and be open to opportunities.
What has you most excited about the future? I’m excited about big dreams for Dallas—and our very real opportunity to make those dreams actuality. We have the chance to build a community where all citizens can establish financial security, and where our children are educated and prepared for success beyond high school in the 22nd century. More importantly, they’ll be leading the world from the international city that Dallas will have become. We can build a fit and healthy Dallas population that lives and works well. I also dream about amassing the brainpower and person-power required to battle the inertia of circumstances—mobilizing individuals and institutions with the resources, the profile, the imagination, and demonstrated commitment to Dallas’ future to do the seemingly impossible. I want to be part of the team that’s building a Dallas to revolutionize the way American cities address some of their most intractable problems.
What would people be surprised to learn about you (fun fact)? I order a side of fresh jalapenos with just about everything to make food—and life—a little more spicy.
What educational degrees do you hold, and where were they earned? BBA—Accounting—Baylor University, Certified Public Accountant in Texas
Name one item on your bucket list: My husband Ed (a Longhorn) and I want to see a Texas-Baylor national championship game.
What’s your beverage of choice? I’m a (diet) Pepsi girl for life.
What kind of car do you drive? Mom Car. SUV. With soccer shoes, fishing poles and muddy socks in the hatch.
What’s your hobby/passion? When I make the time, it’s practicing yoga. Namaste.
What’s your favorite travel destination? Anywhere with Hilton and Edward—and no phones, computers or tablets—but I haven’t found that place in the last few years.
The Dallas 500 is a D CEO special edition that profiles the most powerful leaders in North Texas. For more information—or to suggest individuals or categories to include in 2017—visit www.Dallas500.com.
