For some, leadership has to be learned, for others, like Angela Evans, it seems to be innate. Her work and personal live are almost one, mending together seamlessly and seemingly effortlessly. She strives to influence others to be active, educated, and engaged members of society, in particular the youth through the creation of the Klondike Leadership Academy and her involvement as a Board Member with The Healing Place.
Five years ago, Evans became the Chief Marketing Officer for HealthCare Express. Now, her coworkers are like family members, sharing so much of their lives together on a daily basis. Over the years, Evans and her team worked hard to create what began as a summer literacy program and has now evolved into a youth leadership program, Klondike Leadership Academy.
(Photo by Erin Rogers | TXK Today)
Evans believes the best leaders are those with a service-first mentality. She wanted to extend these things into the community, so HealthCare Express created Klondike Leadership Academy. Their program encourages children to accomplish tasks without being prompted, to help with the resources they have available, and to be an active part of their communities.
The Klondike Leadership Academy is based on 7 guiding principles: Yes I can, Work comes before play, Listen before you speak, together is better, help to inspire others, commitment, and leaders are readers.
Those leadership roles extend from the office to the community, from the ground up. HealthCare Express strives to leave a legacy of leadership, encouraging team members to initiate leadership roles and provide them with opportunities to develop those skills to do so, whether it’s through involvement with the youth or just encouraging mental stimulation.
Healthcare Express requires their team members to participate in a few of their community outreach events they host or are involved with. Employees of HealthCare Express even had a team at the Dragon Boat Races, visit local nursing homes, and mentor children in the community.
Outside of HealthCare Express,Evans distributes school supplies to children in need, offers GED classes for those wanting to finish high school, develops job training, and much more with the Healing Place.
“With so many things going on in the world, I want my daughter to look at me and see peace. Kids are like sponges, and they observe everything that you do. I cannot expect her to make good choices if she is seeing me making bad ones.”
Evans provides a strong support system for her daughter, encouraging her to pursue her dreams and be a loving and caring person who is also strong. As involved as she is in the community, Evans makes her family a top priority, consistently being involved in her daughters interests.
“Family, to me, is the glue that keeps everything in life together. Your family members are pieces to your life’s puzzle. Without them, you can’t be complete.”
Texarkana has been an ideal place to raise her daughter, especially considering how rooted both she and her husband are in the community, both sides extending several generations back in Texarkana.
When work and mommy duties clash, my husband is there. We are a good team, and we have the support and help of our parents and friends as well. Having that stable support system allows for Evans to provide many bonding experiences with her daughter.
“I am a strong believer in gifting experiences instead of things to my child. It’s all about making good memories.”
Small and large, the Evans family celebrates perseverance, commitment, and work ethic. When their daughter makes good grades there is a reason to celebrate, However, they reward hard work and taking initiative as well.
Recently, Evans and her husband treated their daughter to a special trip to Los Angeles and Disneyland. Their daughter wants to be a television show producer and they thought Hollywood would be the perfect place for their daughter to delve into her interest.
“We thought it would be awesome for her to see Hollywood and where they film movies and TV shows since she worked hard all school year with having A/B honor roll all year, all E’s in work habits, second highest points in her after school care KLA program.”
She also wants to be a doctor, and since Evans works at HealthCare Express, she has provided plenty of opportunities for her daughter to see careers in the medical field. Evans has always made sure that regardless of what her daughter is passionate about, she can provide experiences for her daughter to better understand herself.
Raising a leader is the best, direct way to impact your community, and Evans is doing that both inside and outside the home. From her personal life to her work life, there is always an opportunity to positively influence someone else’s life and uplift your own.
