Shortly after Tia Embaugh graduated from LSU and began working as a local architect, she joined the young professional’s organization, Forum 35. Embaugh had grown up all over the country, and her intention was to give back and feel part of her adopted community. “What was so good about Forum 35 is that it gave you a taste of everything that was going on,” she says. “You could sample different projects to see what you were interested in.”
A couple of years of serving on boards and projects led Embaugh to the realization that she was having more fun doing volunteer work than she was behind her desk. Fellow architect and husband Fritz Embaugh commented that if she was unfulfilled professionally, it likely wouldn’t improve. Maybe it was time for a change.
Embaugh used her newfound connections to search for a job in the nonprofit sector.
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“So many people were thrown by it, that an architect wanted to leave the field and do something completely different,” she recalls. The Girl Scouts took a chance, recognizing Embaugh’s strong skills in communications. For six years, Embaugh served as director of development and public affairs, where she shaped a new fundraising program, adding options for multi-year commitments and planned giving. She relished the organization’s team spirit, and thrived in the field of development. Meanwhile, Embaugh still found time continue to volunteer for other community organizations.
In 2006, she was asked to lead development and external relations for the LSU Honors College. Under Embaugh’s leadership, its development program has grown by 100%. More than anything, Embaugh says she’s motivated by a deep sense of gratitude for those willing to contribute.
“The most important thing in development is respecting the donor and the donor’s intent,” she says. “It gets very easy to get caught in the dollar amounts and whether or not you’re going to make your goal, but not matter what, it is a gift.”
Embaugh has shared her development savvy with the community organizations on whose boards she has served, including CAAWS, Mid City Dance Project and Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana. “It’s something I’ll always do,” she says. “I like the idea of fighting for the underdog.”
Age: 38
How do you make yourself heard in the discussion on how to move Baton Rouge forward? “Speaking through my actions. I believe that if I’m not part of the solution, I’m part of the problem.”
Click here for the complete list of 2009's Forty Under 40 winners.
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