Wal-Mart supplier exec becomes non-profit leader

It was at the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter signature fundraiser, the Starlight Gala, where Steve Schotta first became familiar with the non-profit’s mission.

He wanted to learn more and took a tour of the facility and was soon asked to serve on the board of directors. During his four years as a board member, Schotta’s passion for helping the children in need of a safe, caring environment grew. He worked close with the former executive director and when that position became vacant, he realized he had an interest in becoming more involved in the day-to-day operations at the shelter.

“I felt strongly that this was the direction I needed to go in my life,” he said recently.

The board had already decided to use a consultant to help them choose the next executive director and Schotta was chosen from 20 candidates. His business savvy and evident passion made him an excellent fit for the position, which he started July 1, 2011.

“I had a strong passion for the cause of the shelter and this was the opportunity to do something more meaningful than make and sell products,” he said.

BUSINESS HISTORY
Schotta comes from a 35-year history of working in the business community, 26 years of those with the Kimberly-Clark Corporation where he eventually served in senior management as part of the company’s Wal-Mart team. A native of Connecticut, Schotta first moved to Northwest Arkansas in 1993. He left for a few years to live and work in Wisconsin.

In 2001, he moved back to the region and has lived in the region ever since.

“This is the longest I’ve lived anywhere in my adult life,” he said. “I’ve had 10 moves in 26 years.”

After leaving Kimberly Clark, Schotta moved into a different part of the business world – entrepreneurialism. He worked at several ventures, including Luma Vue Inc., a LED lighting company he co-founded.

“I’ve always had a business background, a people background,” he said. “My background and experience have applications to the non-profit.”

TEAM FOCUS
When working in the business world, Schotta learned how to work with many different personalities and people of many different positions from CEOs to associates. Such skills give him a comfort level in working with volunteers, shelter employees, donors and others associated with the shelter. This is important for daily operations and fundraising. Approximately 80% of the shelter’s budget comes from donations.

“Having a leader who can talk to people is important and my business leadership experience has allowed me to be able to do that,” he said. “I’m also not afraid to get up in front of a group.”

Managing people in varying roles as well as having an in-depth human resources perspective when it comes to performance and contribution has also been an asset, Schotta agreed. He’s also been able to successfully foster the ideas of having a team focus and the belief that the overall mission is above individual priorities.

“The shelter focus needs to stay the focus of the team,” he said. “Whether you’re in food service or development, you’re all essential to the mission. It’s about bringing people together as a team.”

GETTING PERSONAL
Schotta’s desire to help children in need did not start with the shelter. In the 1980s, Schotta adopted two boys at the ages of 8 and 9. In the 1990s, he and his wife Elizabeth Schotta, who he married in 1994, adopted their son Stephen, who is now 15.

The Schottas also serve as foster parents and have welcomed five children into their home. The Schottas were honored in September as Angels in Adoption through the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. The award recognizes people who have engaged in “outstanding advocacy for adoption and/or foster care,” according to a press release from the shelter.

“I was blessed to have loving parents who invested their time, energy, resources and wisdom in me and positioned me to have a better life than they had,” Schotta observed. “And I have always had a place in my heart for kids who don’t have that. In a way, I feel I am honoring my own parents by reaching out to children who need a home. After all my parents did for me, I feel it’s the least I can do.”

Continuing, Schotta noted: “And it’s nice to have this sense of purpose now spill over into my work life. At the Children’s Shelter, we provide emergency residential care for displaced kids, 24 hours a day. We usually are the first stop for children entering the foster-care system, which, in my view, means that we have a huge responsibility to make them feel safe, cared for and wanted from the very beginning of their journey. And, as good parents should, we meet their immediate needs and help them prepare for what comes next. Like parenting, it is challenging but rewarding work.”

DIFFERENT NEEDS
The reasons that bring a child to the shelter or into foster care are different in each situation. They don’t focus on what brings the children to their doorstep, instead the Schottas and the shelter staff both focus on the child’s needs while they are there.

“We’re focused on the kids, not on the circumstances that brought them there,” he said.
Being involved with the shelter and with foster children has also helped Schotta be the type of person who wears his heart on his sleeve more and it’s even helped him be a better parent, he believes.

“It’s opened my eyes more to the challenges that children go through when parents make bad choices,” he said. “I don’t believe as a whole that our society has a concept of the needs of children in our community.

“It’s a balance—we want to open eyes to the need but not be overwhelming,” Schotta said. “We focus on the positive, on the success stories.”