Hello! Nice to Meet You!
Thanks for taking time to learn a little bit more about Sarah.
Sarah's Story
Sarah Spilman has had a varied career with more than 25 years of experience in a variety of industries, including state government, nonprofit, higher education, and health care. Sarah began her career in state government (Minnesota) by leading a multi-agency effort to write a state legislative report. She then transitioned to the nonprofit setting, where she utilized data to produce marketing materials and research reports for organization members and constituents. After attending graduate school at the University of Iowa, she spent 6 years as a data manager and project director for a longitudinal research study funded by the National Institutes of Health. This was followed by 8 years as a data analyst and research director for the trauma research program at a Level I trauma center.
Currently, Sarah also works as a healthcare consult with Bishop+Associates, assisting trauma centers around the nation in assessing trauma center capacity, developing new trauma centers, and solving financial and operational trauma center challenges. Projects have literally occurred in all parts of the country, from California to South Carolina, Texas to Montana.
Sarah also has 10 years of experience serving on the boards of nonprofit organizations. In all capacities, she has chaired the board governance committees where she was involved in rewriting bylaws, writing and revising board policies, and leading board assessment and succession planning. This also includes 7 years of experience as an officer. Sarah was the Board Secretary at Des Moines Christian School for 6 years and currently serves as Vice President and Governance Committee Chairperson of the Urbandale Food Pantry in Urbandale, Iowa.
Sarah holds a master’s degree in sociology, with specific training in research methodology, statistics, and academic writing. She has published in more than 35 academic articles, contributed to more than three dozen regional and national presentations, and worked with 100+ co-authors on a variety of teams. She has a tremendous and rare talent for understanding data, translating data into written reports and easy-to-understand graphics and presentations, and guiding teams through the entire consultative process.
Get to Know Sarah
How would people describe you?
I hope my family and friends would say that I'm smart, dependable, encouraging, organized, and prompt. Clients would say that I am adept at relationship building, meeting facilitation, project management, and effective communication.
Why should clients work with you?
I've been told I have a unique skillset that combines attention to detail with strategic thinking. I can see the forest through the trees, but I also can spend hours examining and understanding the trees! I care about people and I feel honored when people trust me with their stories. I love a good challenge, I thrive on bringing order from chaos, and I value relationships.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I read 100+ fiction novels a year and constantly have my kindle with me so I can utilize every spare minute in line to read a few more pages. I try to exercise and eat well, love to travel, enjoy a good game night, and love to try new foods.
What was your favorite job?
My favorite job was working in the college mailroom (back in the 1990s, when people actually sent and received postal mail). It combined a love of organizing and sorting with the ability to eavesdrop on people's conversations when they came to get their mail!
What was the first board you ever served on?
About ten years ago I joined the school board at my children's private school. It was during my tenure on that board that my passion was sparked for good nonprofit governance, and I saw first-hand how sound bylaws and policies allow an organization to mature and thrive. Board members come and go, but the governance model we developed and refined will outlive any individual's board term and continue to impact and protect the organization for years to come.
Tell us about your family...
I have been married to my husband for 25 years. We met in high school and have been through several moves, a military deployment, and a graduate degree for each of us. He works as a senior architect in Des Moines. Our adult son is on the pre-engineering track at Des Moines Area Community College. In his spare time he loves to golf, talk about golf, and watch golf (and every other sport) on tv. Our teenage daughter is starting high school in the fall. She is currently learning to drive (in Iowa they give kids driving permits at age 14!) and enjoys being part of many school and church activities. We also have a lazy cat and an active puppy.
If you had $10,000 and a passport, where would you go?
I would fly to Italy and split my time between a rented villa in the Tuscan countryside and an ocean-front property on the Mediterranean sea. I would primarily eat, watch people, listen to and learn to speak Italian, and soak up the sunshine (probably while reading a book on my kindle, see above!).