Leadership at Chrysalis

By Alysha Clark

If you work for Chrysalis, you will hear the leadership at Chrysalis being referred to as the “Leadership Team.”  Chrysalis has five women in leadership positions including Dani Rischall-Executive Director,  Alysha Clark-Assistant Director , Amy Holste- Human Resource Director, Amy Yonker- Supported Employment Supervisor, and Kathy Ziegert- Service Facilitation and Clubhouse Supervisor.  

This group of women are dedicated individuals, and you can immediately see that Chrysalis is not just a job for them, it is part of who they are.  Chrysalis asks this team weekly, to think deeply about the past, present and future of this 40 year old organization.  With this team’s focus on courage, honesty, humility and vulnerability, we are confident that our organization is in the right hands!

Read the quotes below to learn more about what being a leader means to the Leadership Team. 

Leadership quotes: 

Alysha: I never thought I could be in a leadership position but I am a real go-getter and if I see a place I could help, I jump right in.  When I first started at Chrysalis, I lacked confidence but I had other women and other Certified Peer Specialists encouraging me to keep going. I am honored to be the Assistant Director at Chrysalis but I also understand how rare it is for a Certified Peer Specialist to be in a leadership position.  Many Certified Peer Specialists do not have a way to become leaders at their agencies, and that needs to change. 

Dani: Being part of a leadership team is an opportunity to support growth. My own growth, the growth of others, and the growth of an organization. I am honored to work at Chrysalis and do all that I can to support our mission. I am grateful to work alongside so many incredible people who motivate and inspire me everyday. As a leader I have the opportunity to dream about a better tomorrow and a responsibility to put dreams into action. 

At Chrysalis we understand that the leadership team plays an important role in our organization and also recognize that it is the incredible staff and people we serve who truly make Chrysalis what it is. As leaders we must continue to center the voices of those most impacted by our services and create meaningful opportunities to collaborate around systems change. Being part of the Chrysalis leadership teams gives me the opportunity to embody and practice these values on a daily basis. 

Amy H: It is a great honor to be a part of this Leadership Team serving the organizational and personnel needs of Chrysalis. Great intentionality has been taken to create a team where individuals can use their individual strengths to participate in collaborative work and collective decision making. Through these shared leadership practices we have found greater successes during these challenging times; never losing sight of our shared Chrysalis values. I am proud to be a part of an agency where each member of leadership actively contributes to creating a strong community and workplace where EVERYONE can access hope, healing and wellness. 

Amy Y: Being on the Leadership Team at Chrysalis is something I’m proud and honored to be a part of. I’m thankful for all of the opportunities and growth I’ve been involved with since starting as an Employment Specialist in 2014. One thing I admire about Chrysalis is the value in seeing creative and innovative programming while also maintaining strong values in our core recovery services. With this, I’ve been able to support the initiation of Chrysalis Pops and the Supported Employment Demonstration, while also continuing to support a strong team of Employment Specialists in the IPS Program. Every program at Chrysalis has so many strengths and seeing them all collaborate is truly wonderful. I’ve met so many people at Chrysalis and within our partnering organizations, each teaching me valuable insights into how to best support mental health recovery. I feel especially lucky to work with the four other leadership women. As a team, we challenge each other to be our best, complement each other’s strengths, and have a lot of fun along the way. We hope that our teamwork and relationship helps us to be the best support to all Chrysalis employees and program participants. 

KZ: I’ve been so fortunate to follow in the footsteps of many amazing women mentors and leaders before stepping into supervisory/management roles. These women led by example and  shared stories of their own perseverance, particularly when it came to gender equality, like championing Title IX or challenging status quo male dominated management roles. I try to embody lessons in mental toughness, staying true to your values and compassionate leadership. Humility and humor are values that are important to me and I try to weave these values throughout my current supervisory work.