ALMetro360 April 18

Tay Knight Executive Director, Family Sunshine Center By Sandra Long Photography by DiAnna Paulk Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s pos- sible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. — Francis of Assisi Tay Knight has a vision. Her vision as Executive Director of the Family Sunshine Center is “to lead hope, healing, em- powerment and safe shelter from domestic violence and to help end sexual assault.” When Knight studied Accounting at Troy University, she never dreamt she would be the executive director of The Family Sunshine Center. After graduation, she obtained her CPA designation in 1992. During her career in public accounting, she was afforded the opportunity to build a diverse array of skills, expertise and relationships with client executives, accountants, in- dustry experts and community leaders. Her primary focus has been in the non-profit sector as an accountant, auditor and advisor to both small and large groups. At the time, she did not realize those skills would come into play in her fu- ture career. She shared that it was a Ted talk by Simon Sinek, called “Start with Why”(How great leaders inspire action), that really got her motivated to decide how to live each day. Lis- tening to this talk while working as a CPA, she started re- flecting on why successful organizations operate the way they do, and what her personal views were about her work. Finally, she asked herself, “Why did you choose to do this?” After much reflection and contemplation, Knight decided that she was determined to empower women. She believed that the reason she worked for the Family Sunshine Center was because it was an extension of her career as a CPA and allowed her to further use her skills and expertise to end family violence and bring hope and healing to victims. Knight has worked closely with the Alabama Association of Nonprofits as a board member and leader, through which she furthered her knowledge and expertise in nonprofit management including the Standards for Nonprofit Excel- lence. She served on the Family Sunshine Center board of directors from 2006 to 2013, serving as president, vice pres- ident and treasurer. She also served on the agency’s foun- dation board of directors, the board of the Leading Edge Institute, Auburn University’s Women Philanthropy Board and Connections Women’s Leadership Initiative. She has been married for 25 years, with one son attending AUM, working towards a Masters in Accounting and one son who is a Junior in High School. They live inWetumpka, where she grew up; her hobbies include hunting, fishing, flower gardening and relaxing by the pool. The Family Sunshine Center currently serves 7 counties, about half a million people. They currently have a staff of 55, including counselors, victim advocates, prevention ed- ucators and case managers. There is a need for people who want to invest themselves in the mission to “do what’s pos- sible” and dedicate their resources of time, energy and money. They need strong board members and community leaders, as well as the support of the community at large. They need people who will give of themselves to make a dif- ference in their community. Services are available to anyone 24/7; the crisis line num- ber is (334) 263-0218. 28 RIVER REGION LIVING www.riverregionliving.com