Clauss: Opportunities and success came from core values
“I’m grateful for my family and the core foundation of beliefs, values, and work ethic they instilled in me,” said Kelly Clauss through tears as she accepted the 2021 Athena Award Thursday evening.
“Having grown up in a traditional blue-collar family, I learned at an early age that work comes before success always,” she continued. “I learned the value of perseverance and the importance of believing, the importance of dreaming, and the importance of rising above life circumstances.”
She acknowledged the work her father did with her on the basketball court that instilled some of those core values at an early age. She explained that he would work with her six days a week, nine months a year and they would shoot free throws each day at the end of practice. He would challenge her to hit 70, 80, and up to 110 in a row before quitting.
“I may have pouted as I thought he was punishing me,” the Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer said. “It did not take me long to understand he was teaching me about personal discipline, mental toughness, and believing.”
Referring to the Gospel of John chapter 20 verses 27 to 29, Clauss pointed out that her father was working on her faith. “For we walk by faith, not by sight,” she said quoting the scripture. “My dad would instruct me to literally believe the basketball was going through the hoop even before it left my hand. To have faith in my God-given talents.”
She then brought this faith perspective into the current context of our information age. “In today’s world, given the plethora of ways in which we can gain access to immediate information and immediate evidence, it’s easy to become a people of seeing is believing,” Clauss said. “In this time of history, we are especially called to be faithful, faith-led people of formation, not people with information.”
“So, I invite you to join me to become faithful people of believing; believing in the good of humankind; believing in one another’s good intent; believing that by coming together we’re better and stronger no matter the circumstance,” she continued.
She closed by thanking her family and friends as well as the Rotary Club for the recognition and the celebration of women in the community.
Clauss was chosen from among six exemplary women nominated for the award this year — Becky Hickman, Norma Kress, Sarah Leonard, Somula (Sam) Schwoeppe, and Marsha Shepherd. The six were nominated by members of the community and each nomination is vetted through a scoring process based on the criteria established by Athena International.
“When you realize how many capable, accomplished leaders there are in this county, it is really overwhelming,” Clauss said about receiving the award. “This county is really blessed and to be included as a part of that was overwhelming and humbling.”
Clauss has served in healthcare leadership for more than 22 years; the past 16 with Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center.
She gives back to her community and develops women leaders through serving as a mentor with SOAR—a women and minority peer-to-peer leadership development program.
“I really love what the SOAR program is doing helping form strong women leaders,” Clauss said. “Part of that is relationship — having each other — because no matter where we are in our career, we always need mentoring.”
She is also a TPE (The Partnership for Excellence) volunteer and she serves as vice-president of the Vincennes University Jasper Foundation as well as a trustee of Vincennes University appointed by Governor Eric Holcomb.
In her nomination, she is described as “a pure, genuine woman. Kelly is a strong, confident leader who exemplifies living our mission as being for others not only at work but also in her personal life. Kelly would likely claim gratitude as her favorite trait. She should. It is spot on. She talks gratitude, maintains a gratitude journal, and leads a spiritual life with abundance of expressed gratitude. Her approach serves her well in her leadership style and she is certainly deserving of the ATHENA Award.”
Athena International, founded in 1982, is a nonprofit organization that seeks to support, develop and honor women leaders. The ATHENA Award is bestowed on a woman who demonstrates professional excellence, community service and actively assists women in their achievement of professional excellence and leadership skills.
Proceeds from Thursday’s event are split between Rotary Club International’s mission to eradicate polio, the local club’s local charity of choice (currently that is with the TRI-County YMCA helping with safe sitter training), as well as a charity of choice by the recipient of the award.
Clauss chose the Sisters of St. Benedict as her charity of choice. She said she has had a longstanding relationship with the Sisters and is a member of the Women of the Rule, a philanthropic circle that comes together to support the various missions of the Sisters of St. Benedict.
Kimball International CEO Kristie Juster was the keynote speaker for the event. She outlined her career and the impact others have had on her life and her development as a leader.
