Meet the Board: Kim Burke

April 18, 2017 - People - Posted by

 

Kim BurkeKimberly Gladden Burke, Ph.D. is a Professor of Accounting and Dean of the Else School of Management at Millsap’s College.  Prior to completing her Ph.D., Kim worked as an auditor for Price Waterhouse and a director of internal audit for Unigate Restaurants.  She is the author of several courses offered by the AICPA as well as several articles published in academic journals.  Kim was recognized by the Mississippi Society of CPAs as the 2014 Outstanding Educator and by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education as the 2008 Mississippi Professor of the Year.  Kim and her husband, Rick, are the proud parents of their daughter Kelsey.

We asked Kim a couple of questions about her obvious passion for the WFM:

Q:  What made you want to become involved with the WFM?

I am a very lucky woman – I have not had to worry about my economic security.  I have had the opportunity to obtain a great education and work with several wonderful organizations over the course of my career.  Now, part of my job as an educator is to guide and mentor other young women as they prepare for their careers.

When I moved to Mississippi, though, I was struck by the sheer number of women caught in a cycle of unplanned pregnancy, lack of education and poverty.  As a woman who has been given so many opportunities, I felt the need to get involved, but I wasn’t quite sure how.
I came to the WFM by accident.  A friend invited me to a WFM event featuring Anna Deveare Smith.  Before the event, I had the opportunity to meet several people affiliated with the group, and I became intrigued.  After doing a little homework, I realized that WFM was what I was looking for – an organization dedicated to improving the economic security of all women.

Q:  What is one thing you wish people knew about the work and mission of the WFM?

It’s awfully easy to pigeonhole the work of the WFM and presume that it only affects “others,” i.e. those women who are not economically secure.  I believe there is a moral imperative for those of us who can to support this work. 
But if that argument doesn’t appeal to someone, I would ask them to consider the economic impact of the WFM.  The economy is an aggregate construct that reflects the production and consumption of all of us.  When a significant portion of the population suffers, we all feel it in one way or another.  As we work to empower women in Mississippi, the WFM is actually working to improve the lives of all its citizens.

 

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