PROFILE IN LEADERSHIP
Stephanie Fussell
Development Director, CASA
Leadership Texarkana Class of 2013
Yet Another "Best and Brightest" Native
For Stephanie Fussell Leadership Texarkana means roots. She says that Leadership Texarkana brought her back to the roots of her community. She has lived in Texarkana for over 50 years and is amazed at the people, places, things and opportunities she was unaware of.
She remembers having the privilege of meeting community leaders and getting to hear and share ideas of the potential in Texarkana to grow and change. She has maintained the relationships with many “movers and shakers” that she gained exposure to during her LT days. “In my own job at CASA, working in development, my new friendships… opened doors in spreading the word about my organization,” says Fussell. She also credits LT for giving her the confidence to ask for what she needs when working on fundraising projects.
“The idea of leadership to me means having the opportunity to make a difference,” says Stephanie. She believes that you can take “an out of the box idea” and make it happen. Part of true leadership does not consider if it is hard or not. She really means it when she says, “Dream big and big things will happen.” She remembers how when she first started working for CASA she learned the meaning of giving back. “I have the opportunity to be purposeful by reaching out to the community for children,” says Stephanie.
When asked if she could make one wish to make a difference in her part of the world it is no surprise that CASA is the center of that wish. “My greatest hope in making a difference is to bring more awareness to the surrounding area about the need for CASA volunteers to help children have a voice and a friend,” says Stephanie. She believes all children deserve the opportunity to be the best they can be. She loves seeing smiling faces where tears used to be or watching adults find purpose in helping a child. For Stephanie Fussell it doesn’t get any better that that!
Stephanie has many passions in her life but her greatest is her family. “Going on the zip line with my 8 year old granddaughter or … hiking with my 16 year old granddaughter to just sitting on my porch at the lake with my husband while he grills… “ these are the things that make Stephanie’s life rich. She is an avid runner with half marathons under her belt. She also loves to travel with her husband. She notes that many trips lately have been to Washington D.C. to visit her son and daughter-in-law and new granddaughter.
Stephanie is a graduate of Arkansas High School and the University of Arkansas. She has been married to her husband, Jim, for 43 years. They were blessed with two children, Amanda and Trip. She taught school in the Texarkana area for 26 years and she says that she loved it. She has three granddaughters with whom she spends a great deal of her time. She adds that she enjoys helping with other non-profit fundraisers.