What are Deb Rohrer’s thoughts on strength?
Strength is how we respond to challenges and setbacks—because we all have them. To me, strength is getting up in the morning and saying, ‘What am I going to do to make someone else’s life better?' which will in turn make my life better. But more importantly—there’s no shame in failure. The saying I want to push back on is, ‘It is what it is.’ I always want to say, ‘Why is it you feel… it is what it is? What do you want to do about it?’ When we realize we have a choice—that it doesn’t have to be what it is—that to me is strength.
Deb Rohrer was “looking for something to do” when her daughters were old enough to start school, which led her on a path to nonprofits.
“I worked with the March of Dimes for several years—and I just loved being part of an organization that had such a wonderful mission about children’s and maternal health,” says Rohrer.
Her next position, with the United Way of Lancaster County, “was a wonderful experience partnering with nonprofit organizations and private companies that just wanted to do good—it really felt like we were making a difference,” Rohrer reflects.
She then spent 10 years as Executive Director at Leadership Lancaster, where, “After each year-long class, people became more inspired to become more involved in the community, to pay it forward,” Rohrer says.
She retired in 2017 to spend more time with her family but continued having coffee with people seeking career or leadership advice.
“So I decided to become certified as an executive coach, to start my own coaching and consulting business focused on coaching nonprofit leaders and executives,” Rohrer says. “That continues to be so rewarding and motivating.”
Then another nonprofit came calling. Friends on the Music for Everyone board asked for her help, and in 2019, she took a part time position as the organization’s director of development.
“I love the mission of the organization, and I love what they do in our community,” Rohrer says. “When you see people rally around handing out instruments to kids, when you see the look on kids’ faces when you hand them a violin, you see in the eyes of those kids what a difference it makes.”
Today, at the age of 59, Rohrer thinks her job—despite changing positions—remains the same: to continue developing community leaders.
“All the work I was doing at Leadership Lancaster—they were adults in their careers looking for leadership opportunities—but now, I’m providing leadership development opportunities to our students, through music,” says Rohrer. “This is my job, but it also becomes a passion—that’s what nonprofit work has done for me.”
For more information on Music for Everyone, see musicforeveryone.org.
