Meet Alicia Adams | Attorney & Non-Profit Executive Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alicia Adams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alicia, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Life is all about taking calculated risks and trying new things – and almost everything is worth trying at least once. You don’t know if you will like something or be good at something until you try it. Similarly, you don’t know if an idea will be successful unless you put in the work and try it. I try to use this as a guide both personally and professionally. Personally, I use this mindset when thinking about new ventures or activities as a way to keep myself open to new things and to explore new places and areas of interest. And while I won’t jump out of a plane without a parachute (there is a difference between taking a risk and being reckless), I will strap the parachute on and give it a try. While some of the things I try in my personal life are discarded with the lesson that I don’t like it having been learned (skiing, for example), other things turn out to be thrilling (skydiving is fun, by the way). I encourage calculated risk taking with my staff as well. Ideas are meant to be developed and brought to life. While the lesson at the end may be that the idea was a flop, we would not have learned that lesson if we hadn’t tried it – and oftentimes failure leads to new ideas that are wildly successful.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After earning my bachelors degree in multinational business operations and risk management/insurance, I went straight into a JD/MBA program with a plan to go into multinational business law. After working as a litigator for several years, I was encouraged to consider applying to be the first independent Executive Director for a state-based non-profit organization. The organization had been under a management contract with another organization for years and the board was ready to move to a fully independent organization. Despite having never worked for a non-profit entity, I was intrigued enough to apply. I have been in the position now for more than 9 years. It has provided a unique opportunity to combine my legal and business skills in ways I had not expected when I began law school. It has also presented challenges different from any other positions I held. When I was hired, parts of the job were akin to starting a new business – setting up phone lines, contracting for web hosting and accounting services, and filing taxes and annual reports. Other parts were nothing like starting a business – taking over events that were already planned, going through boxes of old records, and beginning the work of updating and correcting things created years before I even knew the organization existed. For the first few years, I was the only person on staff for the organization. I am proud that over the past 9 years, we’ve expanded to have 7 full-time staff positions, including myself, in addition to a handful of contractors. There is a lot of work behind the scenes to make a non-profit meaningful to and effective for the people it serves. The support of the community and even strangers, whether financial or through volunteer work, is critical to the work of so many non-profits. That has become clear to me in this role.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
From the restaurants to the outdoor activities, South Florida is full of hidden gems. With special events happening every weekend, I’d be sure to check the calendar for the area first to ensure we didn’t miss a pop-up restaurant, concert, or activity. After that, we’d plan as many outdoor activities as possible – walking the beach, hiking the Everglades, paddle boarding the canals, and driving through the keys. And of course frequent stops at the various breweries and eateries along the way – Robert’s Is Here, Ms. Cheezious, Doggies, Taco Craft & Taqueria, Funky Buddha, The Rabbit Hole, Wilton Creamery, and Deccan Spice, to name a few.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who have supported me along the way, providing guidance, love, mentorship, and encouragement. The biggest two are my mother and my husband. Growing up, my mother encouraged me to get involved with a variety of activities and to try as many new things as possible. Throughout our marriage, my husband has encouraged me to never stop my process of self-discovery and improvement and has been my partner in countless adventures across the globe.

Website: https://www.fcaap.org/

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