Meet Karen Pletz
Interview by: Sheridan Sechter

She is the President and CEO of the University of Health Sciences and the newly-elected Chairman of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Holding a B.A. in education and a JD from the University of Missouri, she is also a graduate of Harvard Medical School’s Program for Leaders in Medical Education. She sits on over a dozen boards in the Kansas City area and is actively engaged in several service organizations and special projects both locally and nationally including the Eli Lilly National Women’s Health Advisory Board.

Karen is an extremely busy woman. Anyone could correctly assume that just by peeking at her job title and list of civic and professional commitments. But, you only understand the true scope of it when you look at her calendar. This I did when photographer Laura Maxwell Shultz and I met with a member of her support team to schedule the interview and photo shoot. What I saw can be summed up in three words: no white space. We did, however, manage to find two one-hour slots that worked.

Now fully aware of the value of her time, I considered everything that could possibly go wrong during the interview. The only things that came to mind were that either I would forget to bring my recorder or that the battery would die before the interview was completed. So, I changed the battery and placed the recorder in my bag the night before.

When I arrived at her office a few minutes early one of her assistants, Brian Reece, offered me a cup of coffee. Seconds later, Karen welcomed me and we began the interview. I placed the recorder in front of her and asked the first question. As she was answering, I glanced down and noticed that the little light was not on and the tape in the machine was motionless. Horrified, I picked up the small black box. It definitely was not working. Apologizing, I removed the batteries and replaced them. Nothing. I tried the same thing again only this time I put the batteries back in a different way. Still not working!

Sensitive to Karen’s jam-packed schedule, I am starting to feel somewhat nauseated about wasting her time and feared that she was feeling the same way. To my great relief and instant admiration, though, she graciously offered suggestions and when those ideas didn’t work, she solved the problem by asking Brian to bring us one of the university’s recorders. No drama. No heavy sighs. Interview (and face) saved.

1. What is a typical day at your office like?
There is really no typical day at this office. This is a very complex management environment consisting of 350 full-time employees including faculty members and 950 students. Dealing with a faculty member is very different from dealing with students. And, along with managing people there is the major task of day-to-day operations.

2. What is the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging thing about this position is balance. There are many disparate balls in the air which serve to create a great deal of complexity. The great number of people involved and their corresponding personalities, goals, and potential for leadership are part of the challenge. When leading a team, I find that there are three critical areas to address. The first is to ensure that each person feels like their contribution is significant in the scheme of things. Secondly, a sense of community must be instilled. In other words, each person must feel like they are working toward something that is greater than their self. Lastly, positive energy must be generated. You want people to feel that there is going to be success and they are an integral part of that success.

3. What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is the opportunity to lead in a meaningful way. In other words, I am able to help other people reach their potential and that is a great feeling.

4. What is the one item in your office that you feel you could not do without?
The most important non-item by far is my assistant, Connie Boyd. My cell phone would be the most important item.

5. When you were a child, what did you dream of doing with your life?
I didn’t really have a dream that some do about what to do as a career or with my life. I was raised to be prepared, listen to signals, and work hard and that is what I’ve done. Looking back, there’s no way that I could have predicted where I am today. But, I was prepared when the opportunity presented itself and my life has been a series of those types of events.

6. Who is your mentor and what is the most valuable thing you learned from that person?
I was lucky that I had very positive parents and my father in particular was someone I consider to have been a mentor to me. He taught me to be optimistic and realistic at the same time. The lessons I learned as a child have really helped me in life. In addition, I’ve had very positive role models throughout various stages of my life. In college, one of the new acquaintances I made encouraged me to get involved in meaningful leadership opportunities on campus. That’s not something that I had thought of on my own, but that advice and the subsequent experiences really expanded my horizons.

7. If you had to list the top three reasons for your success, what would be on the list?
The top three reasons would be: 1) I have been given opportunities to lead, 2) I have had good role models along the way and 3) I have a very positive attitude. The last one is the most important one, I believe. It’s important that if something negative happens you learn from it and move on rather than letting negativity define you.

8. What do you consider to be your best professional achievement?
Without a doubt, I believe it’s the opportunity that I’ve had to empower others.

9. What was the lowest point in your professional life?
I haven’t really had what I’d call a low point in my career because I don’t look at situations quite in that way. However, one of my defining moments was when I was in my twenties, newly-divorced, a teacher and the mother of two children aged three and one. At that time, I knew that I’d have to make some changes to take care of us so I went to law school. It was the negative experience that was the catalyst for my personal and professional growth at that time so it’s difficult to call it a truly low point. It was, however, very difficult at the time.

10. What do you do to relax?
When I go home at night, I sit in the tub and read a book for two or three hours. It’s very relaxing and a great way to unwind at the end of the day.

11. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I am definitely an early bird. No question.

12. What is the last book you read?
The last book I read happened to be “Never Give In” by Winston Churchill. Don’t think I’m purely intellectual, though. I like biographies and books on business, but I really prefer to read fiction. I probably read more fictional works than anything.

13. What is your favorite movie?
I love to go see new movies and do so just about every weekend. But, I think that my favorite is still “Gone with the Wind”. Scarlet O’Hara was a very positive character and never gave up no matter what was happening in her life.

14. Are you more likely to dine out, order in, or cook?
I definitely dine out, and almost every night.

15. What is your favorite vacation destination?
That is easy---St. Barthelemy; St. Barts. It’s a small haven. We’ve been going there every year for the past twenty years.

16. If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
If I could change one thing, it would be that the people and the world would be infused with positive energy.

17. What is your personal philosophy?
My personal philosophy is that a person should be optimistic and that all things get better through effort and positive energy. And, I believe that excellence is defined as being and doing the best that you can.

18. What do you believe is the most critical issue facing Missouri?
The most critical issue facing Missouri and Kansas is education. We need to provide a quality education for students of all ages. And, I wouldn’t say that it’s really a matter of money. I think the primary issue is that the system is antiquated. Traditionally, women were the teachers and it was understood that theirs was a second income so they didn’t need to be paid as much. I think that for us to attract and retain a larger pool of qualified teachers, we need to put together incentives and provide recognition for outstanding performance.

19. What is your advice for young women just starting their careers?
I don’t like to separate career women from career men. I think that the most important thing for one to do is to have the right credentials and ensure that your abilities are well-matched to a particular position and company. If you find that they aren’t, then move on. Don’t feel stuck. Don’t be a victim. Take control of the situation and make it better for yourself.

20. Why did you agree to this interview with Flourish?
I believe that this is an opportunity for me to give back and to contribute and I’m happy to do that.

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