For Marcy Mendenhall, it’s all about the “kiddos.”
Little did she realize when she accepted a position as a nanny in 1989, that it would ultimately take her to the leadership of a $22 million organization, SAL Community Services, which provides crucial support to improve the lives of thousands of children and families across 17 counties and two states.
Ms. Mendenhall, 55, has been SAL’s president and CEO since 2013, overseeing a staff of 300.
“It was really embedded into me, the importance of early care, education, the continuity of care – all the things that are important about what I’m doing today,” she said.
She cites two women – Carmen Darland and Kim Whalen – as being women of influence in her life. Ms. Darland introduced her to Mike and Kim Whalen, who were looking for a nanny for their young son, Christopher. It was her first lesson in early childhood education, though she had spent years giving swimming lessons to children in her parents’ backyard pool in Eldridge.
“You go back to that genesis, where did you start out and where did you have those warm handoffs, and where did those people make that impact on you?” Ms. Mendenhall recalled. She said both Ms. Darland and Ms. Whalen “knew that being a nanny was not my lifelong journey, but they both saw something in me that would catapult me to where I am now.”
Her “now” is an organization that provides a network of services to assist families in getting quality child care and early education for their children. SAL is perhaps best known for its Skip-a-Long Childhood Centers in four Quad-Cities locations. But SAL is much more, including services for licensed home child care providers, and assistance for families who have particular child-care needs, such as nighttime care.
All of this is coordinated at SAL’s headquarters at 3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 108, in Moline.
“We’re really proud that we can offer a lot of services for our families,” said Ms. Mendenhall, who has a master’s degree in social work from St. Ambrose University. “We’re hustling to make sure that families can have all the services.”
Ms. Mendenhall’s prior professional experiences range from being a school-based therapist in Davenport schools to the executive director of Scott County Kids. She speaks passionately about the role a strong foundation in early childhood care and education means for society.
“We’re about pulling up the next two generations. The first generation is that we’re supporting the workforce right now because we’re getting the parents to work, with a safe place for their kids. The second generation is the kiddos we have. We’re growing those kids so they will have the skills to be a competent workforce.”
All of that makes for a stronger economy, she said.
Her work has brought her statewide attention as she serves on the Illinois Early Childhood Care Transition Advisory Committee. “I believe the end result will be more streamlined systems for the betterment of the children and their families,” she said.
In nominating her as a Woman of Influence, SAL Board Chairman William Stoermer described Ms. Mendenhall as “a compassionate, dedicated, committed, dependable, inclusive leader.”
“She seeks out collaborations that help children, families and individuals thrive,” he wrote.
What helps her thrive is the opportunity to enjoy sunsets on the Mississippi River from the Port Byron, Illinois, home she shares with her husband, Matt Mendenhall, president and CEO of the Regional Development Authority. Their family includes adult children: Lydia Liley, 34, Ryan Mendenhall, 29, Mallory Weaver, 29, and Libby Weaver, 28; as well as a grandson, Sullivan Liley, 3.
Building relationships of all types is important for Ms. Mendenhall.
“I think about relationships as a bank account. It’s about deposits and withdrawals,” she said. “How do you invest in relationships, and then, when you need it, how do you make the withdrawals?”
WORDS OF WISDOM
“You go back, and you tend to relationships. You nurture people who have helped you along the way.”
Bio
Childhood hometown: Eldridge, Iowa.
Current residence: Port Byron, Illinois.
Education: Bachelor of Science in aviation management, University of Dubuque; and master’s degree in social work, St. Ambrose University.
Family: Husband, Matt Mendenhall; adult children: Lydia Liley, Ryan Mendenhall, Mallory Weaver, and Libby Weaver, 28; and a grandson, Sullivan Liley.
