FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2011
Five Talents International
P.O. Box 331
Vienna, VA 22183
www.fivetalents.org
Contact: Charlie Shifflett, Website and Communications Manager, (703) 242-6016 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Debra Pollick Elected to Five Talents Board of Directors
Vienna, Virginia – Five Talents announces that Debra Pollick of Denver, Colorado, has been elected to the board of directors. Pollick serves as Executive Vice President in the Denver office of DHR International, the fifth-largest retained executive search firm in the US.
"Debra brings an enthusiasm for justice and a heart for the poor," said Five Talents President and CEO Craig Cole. "We're excited to have her aboard."
Pollick, a registered nurse, recruits for the healthcare industry and has more than 30 years of leadership experience – including time spent in clinical practice, consulting and recruitment. Before joining DHR, she was a founder of Pollick & Associates, LLC, a retained healthcare search firm that assists organizations ranging from academic medical centers to community hospitals and faith-based health systems.
Upon first hearing about Five Talents through fellow board member Bill Eggbeer in late 2010, Pollick quickly fell in love with the organization's mission.
"I love the idea of a movement whose objective is [creating] a world in which poor and near-poor households have permanent access to a range of high-quality financial services," she said. "Those who promote microfinance believe that such access will help poor people out of poverty, and that was my attraction to Five Talents. The organization is committed not only to microfinance but to the Christian message that wraps a mantle of love and care around the person in need."
When Eggbeer eventually approached Pollick about joining the board, she happily accepted his invitation.
"To fight poverty, create jobs and transform lives by empowering the poor -- what an honor to serve these people that are in need!" she said. "What more could I offer of my talents than to assist those in most need in the world? It is a pleasure to serve them."
Pollick received her nursing diploma from Riverside/Ohio Wesleyan University in Columbus, Ohio, and her bachelor's degree from St. Joseph's College in Standish, Maine. She later earned a master's from Clayton College in Birmingham, Alabama.
In recent years, Pollick has become an ardent supporter of the Black Hills State University football team. Her son Michael, a junior at the university, plays nose guard on the team. Her daughter, Abigail, is married and works in finance.
When she's not cheering for her son's football team, she enjoys hiking and biking across beautiful Colorado and following politics. "I have an interest in people behavior – of course, being a retained search consultant, [this is] not surprising," she said.
Established in 1999, Five Talents International has provided funding for business training and thousands of loans -- ranging from $50 to $300 -- in 11 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. A majority of loan recipients are women. Five Talents' ongoing work is supported by a staff based in Vienna, VA, and an office in London. Hundreds of volunteers across the United States and United Kingdom participate in the organization.
For more information and to donate, visit www.FiveTalents.org.
