Leading with Purpose, Identity, and Impact

What does it really mean to lead—not just in title, but in responsibility?

In this episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing and Hope, Linda Anderson sits down with Dr. Cynthia Rapaido, an educator and leader whose career spans more than three decades across K–12 and higher education.

From classroom teacher to assistant principal, principal, coach, and university faculty member, Cynthia has dedicated her life to supporting both students—and the educators who serve them.

Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to inclusive, supportive school environments where both students and staff can thrive. With a Doctorate in Education focused on International and Multicultural Education, Cynthia’s leadership is shaped by a clear understanding of how identity, culture, and experience influence the way we lead.

In this conversation, Cynthia shares insights from her doctoral research on Filipino American educational leaders in Northern California—offering a powerful lens into the intersection of identity and leadership, and what it means to lead across cultures with intention and awareness.

She also draws from her extensive experience as a school leader—17 years as an assistant principal and 5 years as a principal—to speak honestly about the emotional complexity of leadership, the pressures that often go unseen, and the importance of balancing accountability with compassion.

Now, as a mentor, coach, and author of Step Up Your School Leadership Game: The New Administrators’ Guide, Cynthia continues to support emerging leaders as they navigate the transition into leadership with both confidence and clarity.

Together, Linda and Cynthia explore what it looks like to:

• Lead with multicultural competency in daily practice

• Build school cultures where both students and staff feel a true sense of belonging

• Support the development of students’ academic identity

• Navigate the emotional realities of school leadership

• Shift from managing responsibilities to truly leading people

At its core, this conversation is about leadership that is human, reflective, and grounded in purpose.

Because the most meaningful leadership doesn’t always show up in titles or recognition—it shows up in the lives we impact along the way.

And in the end, leadership is not just about the roles we hold—but the lives we shape and the courage to keep moving forward.

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Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

One Hand in the Dirt, One Hand on the Map

A conversation on being rooted, reaching forward, and continuing to explore.

Some stories are loud and obvious. Others are steady, thoughtful, and quietly lived.

This episode of Moving Forward is about the kind of life that grows through attention — the kind that unfolds over time through patience, observation, and care.

In this conversation, Linda Anderson sits down with Kevin Gorman, a longtime healthcare and environmental professional who recently retired from Novartis after a career spanning multiple disciplines. But this conversation isn’t about titles or milestones. It’s about perspective.

Linda and Kevin share a history that goes back to high school, where Kevin was known not only for his athletic ability — competing in track and basketball — but for the steady kindness that defined how he showed up for others. Decades later, that same quiet presence remains.

Kevin now writes a reflective Substack titled Rooted, Reaching, and Exploring, where he often begins with something practical — tending a garden, observing the natural world — and opens into deeper reflections about stewardship, responsibility, and the practice of paying attention.

Together, Linda and Kevin explore:

• What it means to stay rooted in the values that shape a life

• How curiosity and reflection allow us to keep reaching forward

• Why a spirit of exploration doesn’t end with retirement

• The lessons nature teaches us about patience, stewardship, and resilience

• How quieter lives often carry wisdom worth sharing

Through stories of gardening, endurance running, fatherhood, and life transitions, Kevin reflects on the ways attention and care shape the way we move through the world.

At its heart, this conversation reminds us that moving forward doesn’t always mean moving faster.

Sometimes it means slowing down enough to notice what matters.

Sometimes it means tending what is already growing.

And sometimes it simply means continuing to explore.

A reflection from this conversation“When you plant something, you’re acting on belief in a future you can’t fully see yet.”

About Kevin GormanKevin Gorman recently retired from Novartis after a long career spanning environmental and healthcare disciplines. In this new chapter, he writes the Substack Rooted, Reaching, and Exploring, where he reflects on gardening, stewardship, curiosity, and the practice of living thoughtfully.

Connect with KevinSubstack: Rooted, Reaching, and Exploring

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Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

Voice, Heritage, and Returning to Story

In this episode of Moving Forward, Linda Anderson speaks with Jamie Okh, a civil rights leader, strategic communications expert, former federal investigator with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Founder and Creative Director of Stories by Jamie.

Jamie spent more than a decade investigating systemic discrimination in housing and lending, working to enforce civil rights protections and help institutions change practices that caused harm to families and communities. During the 2018–2019 federal government shutdown, she also became a national spokesperson for federal employees and their families, helping the public understand the human impact behind policy decisions.

In this conversation, Jamie reflects on the experiences that shaped her voice — including the influence of her Russian heritage and the storytelling traditions passed down by her grandmother. She shares how those early roots in storytelling eventually resurfaced after years of public service and leadership.

Now the mother of two young boys, Jamie speaks about the ways motherhood has deepened her understanding of justice, responsibility, and the stories we pass to the next generation.

Together, Linda and Jamie explore:

• What heritage and family stories teach us about identity and resilience

• Lessons learned from years investigating discrimination and advocating for fairness

• The importance of credibility and communication during times of crisis

• How motherhood influences leadership and perspective

• Why returning to storytelling became a meaningful next chapter

As Jamie reflects during the conversation:

“Moving forward doesn’t always mean becoming someone new — sometimes it means returning to the voice that was always yours.”

Jamie’s journey is a reminder that moving forward doesn’t always mean leaving parts of ourselves behind. Sometimes it means reconnecting with the voice and passions that were there from the very beginning.

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Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez