Leadership Built on Relationships
By: Kim Fickett
As the eldest of eight children, Christie Finnegan was gaining leadership skills long before she knew where her life path would take her.
"Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another."
-John C. Maxwell
Growing up in what she terms a “large chaotic farming family” in Vail, Iowa, Christie was called to step in to help her younger siblings.
“I attribute my organizational skills to being a built-in babysitter for my mom who would spend time outside helping my dad with hogs and cattle,” Christie recalls. “My siblings would call it bossy, but I would say I was a natural organizer of what needed to be done in the house, from meals and cleaning, to laundry.”
It is that work ethic she acquired at a young age, and witnessed her parents possess, that she attributes to her becoming who she is today.
“I think that’s where some of my greatest work ethic and sense of responsibility comes from is all of the lessons I learned from my parents and from the farm,” Christie shares with a smile.
Today, Christie still loves returning home to her family’s Century Farm, especially during
harvest season.
Just as each autumn brings the slight chill in the air, the changing of the leaves, and the sun shining on the fields of golden corn and beans ready to be harvested for the year, the return to her family farm also brings back the memories from her childhood.
“We were outdoors a lot as kids. Quite the excursions from the creek down the way to climbing trees and corn cribs, to playing hay bale tag,” Christie reflects.
As much as she had a love for the great outdoors, Christie also had a deep love for music.
“Music moves my spirit. I grew up with my mom as the choir director at our church, and our family would sing in the choir.”
With such a deep passion for music, Christie poured that passion into her high school’s fine arts program. A student at Kuemper Catholic School in Carroll, she was active in 4-H, track, music, speech, and debate, and later also got involved in the choral program at Briar Cliff.
“Most people don’t believe me when I say this, but I was pretty shy in high school. I would probably say I didn’t find out who Christie Lally Finnegan was until my college years,” Christie shares. “It’s a thin thread that I ended up at Briar Cliff, but it ended up being a perfect fit for me and where I truly found myself and what was important to me.”
“Growing up in a small town where family is really important, Briar Cliff has that. It’s almost its own little community up on the hill. You know everybody, and the faculty and staff are so invested. I was really so fortunate that I had so many good professors pour into me and help nurture where my career wanted to go,” she recalls.
It was at the Cliff, where Christie’s leadership skills truly began to blossom as she became actively involved in BC Cares, the college’s campus ministry and service organization.
“I was never hesitant to jump in and organize activities for the campus so students had opportunities to participate in community events. I think that set the tone for later in my adult life of the importance of volunteering and being involved,” Christie notes.
As Christie began to find herself at Briar Cliff, she too, would find the love of her life and husband, Sean. While they didn’t date during college, the duo was connected as part of a mutual friend group. In 2000, three years after graduating from Briar Cliff, the couple married.
“He complements me well. He’s the calm to my energy and is always a reassuring calm voice, and we make a good team,” she shares of her partner.
Christie’s professional career began directly out of college after obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications with a public relations emphasis. Little did she know that a college internship would set her on a professional course in the healthcare field.
“Not long after graduating, I had my dream job of being a PR Director of a children’s charity,” Christie said of her position with Children’s Miracle Network. Over the course of the next 15 years, Christie transitioned through several capacities within the UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s organization.
After taking a brief stint away from the healthcare field to work at a law firm, Christie returned seven years ago as June E. Nylen Cancer Center’s marketing and fund development manager.
“I’m pretty passionate about oncology and the cancer center. I love my job of being the ambassador and storyteller of the work done there. It is personal for me to help raise awareness and funds for the cancer center,” she says.
In fact, Christie said her transition to the cancer center came at a pivotal moment for her personally.
“When I started at the cancer center, I had a close friend, Monica, be diagnosed with cancer, and we’ve since lost her. I’ve always heard God will put you where he needs you, and at that time, I could be there for Monica,” she shares with tears in her eyes.
As Christie stepped into each of her professional roles, she has carried with her the inspiration received from those in her life.
“There’s so many powerful connections and genuine relationships that I have, and I think that’s the beauty of not having just one or two mentors. There’s people all around you who you can learn from,” Christie says of those who have helped her become who she is today.
Whether it was being molded as a child by strong family values, nurtured in college by professors who set the tone for her future, or guided by fellow career professionals or volunteers who have come alongside her to get the job done, Christie said she’s taken away something from many people.
“God puts people in your path in less structured mentorship ways if you take the opportunity to watch and learn from them and get to know them, and have honest conversations,” she shares.
Just as Christie always had a strong faith in God in her professional life, she and Sean, also leaned heavily on faith in their marriage.
As a self-proclaimed “Type A” person, Christie admits it was hard to let go of the control and trust in God’s plan.
“The Bible says to take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart, and the greatest desire of my heart was to be a mom,” Christie recalls. “We tried a long time to get pregnant with our first child.
As an event planner, you’re used to this is what we’re doing when, this is when we’re going to get pregnant, and when that didn’t happen month after month after month, I remember feeling like, is this ever going to happen? Why is this happening, and that frustration, and feeling that something is wrong with me.”
In 2006, Christie and Sean were blessed with their first daughter, Cassie. After having Cassie, the couple went through a couple of miscarriages before welcoming their second child, McKenna, in 2009.
“During that time when I had those miscarriages, there was the reflection and challenge of the pressure women put on themselves of what’s wrong with me. So when I did get pregnant now with our second daughter, McKenna, I was really cautious with the pregnancy, and I didn’t really enjoy it, like I did with Cassie,” Christie shares somberly. “I was scared something was going to happen, and I wouldn’t let myself get attached.”
As the couple was preparing for a trip to Florida with McKenna not even one, a gut instinct to take a pregnancy test led to the unexpected addition of their son, Cole, in 2010.
“I say he was God’s blessing to me to say I have a plan, will you just sit back and relax and let me be in charge?” Christie says with a slight laugh.
With God’s blessing of a family bestowed upon Christie and Sean, in addition to her career, Christie spent years devoting herself to countless volunteer efforts across Siouxland.
As the children got older, she became more involved in her children’s activities, including serving as co-chair of East High School’s Sing All About It! show choir event for five years.
“I spend a lot of my time now where my kids are involved, being the best cheerleader I can be from the sidelines and a supporter behind the scenes,” she says, smiling. “If we want the best opportunities for our children, we have to be willing to invest, and a lot of time that requires your personal time and commitment to help in some way.”
No matter the leadership role Christie has undertaken over the course of her life, the role she is most proud of is that of mom.
“At the end of the day, I think my most important job is raising these three teenagers to be happy, healthy, thriving, good humans,” Christie reflects. “A former boss once pointed out that people like me - driven and future-focused - are often so busy chasing what’s next that they forget to look back at how far they’ve come. It’s advice I took to heart, learning to be more present and intentional about reflecting on and celebrating progress and how far I’ve come.”
More About Christie
When the Lally family gathers on her parents’ farm, there’s 35 people between Christie’s parents, sisters, brothers, spouses, and children.
Christie played soccer at Briar Cliff when they were first starting and growing the women’s soccer program.
During her senior year of high school, Christie was her class’ girl representative in a pie-eating contest for a dress-down day and won.
Christie was a therapy clown and used to visit the children’s wings in the hospitals during college.
Christie says she loves popcorn and could eat it anytime and any day. “The good old fashioned Whirley PopTM makes the best popcorn, but don’t mix anything with it, just buttered popcorn is always my go to.”