We had the good fortune of connecting with Cindy Goodman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cindy, what do you want your legacy to be?
I would like to be remembered as someone who made a positive difference in at least one other person’s life. It used to be that, like many others, I wanted to change the world…move it in a more positive, compassionate direction, later realizing that it was enough to influence one person at a time.

Years ago I worked with a young man at San Diego High School to build his self confidence and realize his enormous potential. He was the youngest of seven children raised by a low income, single mother and about to be the last to enter college. Sadly, a tragic accident took his life only a few days before graduation.

When my school superintendent husband and I went to visit the family, they asked me to accept his diploma on their behalf. Wondering why, when he had six siblings, I’d been asked to do this, his mom told me he had listed my name when asked who (other than family) had had the biggest impact on his life. The experience has guided my life ever since.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
If there was a key to being successful over the course of a decidedly varied career, it was probably having the positive attitude that makes such a difference in overcoming obstacles. Living in a number of countries helped me appreciate that we in the U.S. are very, very fortunate.

Developing a varied set of skills led to my most recent work as Interim Executive Director for a number of non-profit organizations. It’s also helped enormously in guiding our Rotary Club through the pandemic as we’ve worked to rebuild, re-energize and refocus our efforts on service to the community and around the world. While none of this work has been easy, it has been extremely rewarding and worth every minute.

Along the way I’ve learned the importance of listening, not just to respond but to really hear. I’ve learned the importance of self care and used it in teaching Mindfulness and Meditation to returning vets with severe PTSD as well as front line health care workers. I’ve learned that collaboration is key to moving organizations forward and that tragedy and setbacks are a part of life. It’s all in how we deal with them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
That actually happened recently.  We had friends from Norway visit for the first time.  Our few days together took us to the Zoo, Safari Park,a tour of the area from Encinitas to Coronado, the beach, The Shell, a day of sailing and a meeting of the Rotary Club of La Jolla.  I am immediate past president of the club, which meets at La Valencia Hotel, and we are all Rotarians, so it was a lot of fun for all of us.  Our outdoor dining experiences included The Fishery, The Cottage, The Marine Room, La Valencia and Old Town Mexican Cafe.  When they come back we will be sure to include  George’s at the Cove.

We will surely do a tour that includes all the beach areas from Coronado north to Encinitas. We’ll have another day at the Shell with one of the groups I’m involved with and a day out sailing.

Where we go in the evening depends a lot upon where we are with the virus and what’s available for outdoor dining. We won’t let them leave without a Mexican meal (hopefully Old Town Mexican Cafe). Playing it by ear re: time with friends and attending a Rotary meeting where our club meets at La Valencia.

Image Credits
Eric Kalisky

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