Age: 36
Occupation: Director of marketing and communications, United Way of Central Illinois
Email: mreynolds@uwcil.org
Education: Benedictine University
Family: Husband Christopher; children Teagan, Trevor, Peyton, Noah and Dominic
Affiliations/community activities: Past president, Rotary Club of Downtown Springfield; past advisory board member, Salvation Army; past board member, One Stop Community Collaboration; Illinois Women in Leadership; Mid-Illinois Communications Association; Paul Harris Fellow
What is your guiding principle in life? Fight hard, love harder. Speak up for yourself and anyone who hasn’t found their voice yet. Don’t shrink. Never miss a chance to show someone how much they mean to you. I’m raising my kids by the same code: Be fierce, be kind, and don’t take anyone’s nonsense.
What led you to your career? Honestly, I fell into it. I didn’t have a master plan. I followed opportunities, said yes to some things I probably wasn’t qualified for but knew I would figure it out, and somewhere in there I realized that taking something from idea to execution, and telling stories that move people to act, is exactly what I’m meant to do.
What would you like your life to look like in five or 10 years? In 10 years our youngest will be graduating high school, so I fully intend on letting that year become the year I allow myself the ease in to becoming the physical and emotional embodiment of Mrs. Claus — warm, round, completely unbothered and running a roadside baked goods stand that can guarantee my house always smells like freshly baked bread and macarons.
What do you wish your younger self had known when you started on this path?
That passion and yearbook editor credits could become an actual career that brings real joy.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career path? I’ve had seasons that required me to choose myself and my children over everything else and, later, rebuild from there. On the other side was clarity that I can demand more, that I’m capable of anything and having the right people in my corner makes all the difference.
What’s the worst career advice that you have ever received?
“Don’t rock the boat.” Wrong. Rock it. The people we serve deserve advocates who actually advocate — who stand up, speak out and hold themselves and others accountable. If something isn’t right, say so. If someone doesn’t have a voice, be one. The world will only get better when people are brave enough to do the right thing.
This article appears in July SBJ 2026.