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Nadine Marsh-Carter Profiled in Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Discover Magazine as Honoree Person of the Year 2018

Meet all 25 of the 2018 RTD Person of the Year honorees

CHS President, CEO and adoptive mother was selected as an RTD Person of the Year 2018. Her profile was published in RTD’s Discover Magazine in December.

The story is followed by a Q&A.

Read it below, or click here to read it on the richmond.com website.

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Love, loss and family: Nadine Marsh-Carter, Children’s Home Society of Virginia president

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Nadine Marsh-Carter, president and CEO of the Children’s Home Society of Virginia, is a 2018 RTD Person of the Year honoree. CLEMENT BRITT

 

After years of waiting, Marsh-Carter finally was a mother. Before leaving the Children’s Home Society of Virginia offices that day in 1999, she ran to the bathroom and said a prayer that everything would be OK.

Years later, the Richmond resident would return to those offices in a different capacity.

Since 2006, Marsh-Carter has served as president and CEO of the Children’s Home Society, a state-chartered adoption agency. Dating to 1900, the society has helped place more than 13,500 children into permanent homes.

Marsh-Carter now sits across from hopeful parents as the society’s chief “cheerleader,” and she understands what they are feeling.

“Love is a verb. It takes action. It has nothing to do with biology and everything to do with trust and respect, which has to be earned,” Marsh-Carter said. “There is nothing like the joy of watching your child kick their first soccer goal.”

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Nadine Marsh-Carter, photographed in the society vault that contains the adoption records dating back to the early 20th century. CLEMENT BRITT

 

A longtime children’s advocate – she also served as executive director of Volunteer Families from 2001 to 2006 – Marsh-Carter helps direct infant and foster care adoption at the Children’s Home Society, as well as post-adoption support for families. A program called the Possibilities Project, developed with the Better Housing Coalition, serves an often-overlooked population: youths who “age out” of the foster care system.

Kathy Wall, chairwoman of the society’s board, called Marsh-Carter “a tireless champion of children” and an expert in the field.

“Nadine has had an extraordinary impact,” Wall said. “She is uniquely able to connect to individuals to share our mission – and to give the face to the stories of Virginia’s at-risk children.”

Marsh-Carter initially was on a different career path. She is the daughter of pioneering civil rights lawyer and Richmond politician Henry Marsh III; her mother was one of the first African-American dentists in Virginia. Marsh-Carter graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law, and her work in her father’s law firm carried on a family legacy.

She had clients who had adopted through the Children’s Home Society, and they seemed so happy. Eventually, she started inviting her husband, David, to the law office as these couples left, hoping he might chat with them. He got the hint.

It wasn’t long before they ended up in the agency’s offices to meet their new daughter. Two years later, Marsh-Carter received a call that their daughter’s new baby brother also needed a home. She drove to the golf course and walked each hole until she found her husband, who agreed to be a father once again.

“And I was hooked,” Marsh-Carter said of her career transition. “I thought, I can practice law anytime. But I can save children’s lives.”

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Nadine Marsh-Carter, president and CEO of the Children’s Home Society of Virginia, is a 2018 RTD Person of the Year honoree. (Photographed at the society vault that contains the adoption records dating back to the early 20th century.) CLEMENT BRITT

 

At her office desk now, hopeful parents can see photos of her son slyly smiling for an elementary school portrait, or her daughter in a blue cap and gown the day she graduated from high school in 2017.

There’s poignancy in that photo. Two days after that graduation, David Marsh-Carter suffered a heart attack and later died. Several months later, citing her husband’s unexpected death, Marsh-Carter resigned the Richmond School Board seat she had won the year before.

In 2018, Marsh-Carter received the Pat Asch Fellowship for Social Justice from the YWCA Richmond, awarded to a woman 50 or older. She planned to examine philanthropy and equity.

“As a servant-leader, she has devoted most of her life to social justice causes,” said Linda Tissiere, CEO of YWCA Richmond. “Her goal to work as a foundation leader in our community and empower vulnerable populations will make a tremendous impact on racial equity.”

IN HER WORDS: NADINE MARSH-CARTER

president/CEO, Children’s Home Society of Virginia

Hometown: Richmond

Family: husband David (deceased), two children

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Tell us about a setback or disappointment and what you learned from it

One of my greatest life disappointments was struggling with infertility. But that life test forced me to rely on my faith. And that reliance ultimately demonstrated to me how God can transform even a great disappointment into a tremendous blessing.

My family was not only blessed to adopt two beautiful children – I was honored to serve on the Children’s Home Society board and ultimately to serve now as the agency’s president. As a result, I have met a network of wonderful adoptive families and work with committed board members. Now I play a role in creating families at the very agency that helped create mine!

Truly, what was once a source of great hurt in my life has evolved into a journey of faith and a passion that motivates me every single day. I advocate for amazing, resilient and inspiring children who are waiting to be adopted – and are no less deserving than our own kids to be part of a safe, loving family.

What is something about yourself that might come as a surprise to others?

After my mom once playfully called me a “jive-time turkey” (yes, it was in the 1970s), that nickname stuck with me! So now I collect turkeys – figurines or other forms of art with cute turkeys on them.

What is something you haven’t done that you’d really like to do?

I would love to learn how to tango – which is pretty hilarious because I’m dangerously close to having two left feet!

But I am fascinated by the physicality, sensuality and beauty of the dance. I believe it’s truly a form of art and human expression! Plus, learning to tango would ultimately mean a trip to Buenos Aires.

What are you favorite movies?

I am a huge movie fan, and “Belle” and “Hidden Figures” are two of my favorites. Both are based on true events. Both films shared stories that needed to be told. And both films are inspiring tales of women of color who overcame incredible odds. The heroines in both films quietly effected change using their intellect and character as they demonstrated grace under pressure.

“Belle” touched on the human motivation behind an English case that ultimately influenced the American court system’s early position on slavery. “Hidden Figures” shared the stories of just a few of the thousands of everyday civil rights heroes whose courage quietly brought about a revolution in our nation.

Describe a small moment in your life that has had a lasting impact on you 

There have been many large moments that have had a lasting impact in my life – graduating from law school, meeting my children for the first time, the recent passing of my husband. However, a quiet conversation I shared with Dad (Henry L. Marsh III) is one of small moments that had a lasting impact.

It occurred when I told him I was going to leave our law firm to start a career in the nonprofit sector. It was such a difficult decision – I had literally grown up at Hill, Tucker & Marsh, so it was like my second family. And it was a tough thing for me to share with Dad because I knew he had hopes for me carrying on the practice after he retired.

But as soon as I told him my desire to pursue a career in child services/advocacy, his response was immediate, simple and true: “I know this is where your heart is. How could I ask you not to pursue your dreams?”

Dad’s quiet words signaled it was going to be OK to take that leap of faith. Because to me, his words were a simple way of saying “I love and believe in you.” And they are words that I am determined to one day share with my children when the time is right.

Who is your role model?

My mother, Diane Harris Marsh. She has always been a woman ahead of her time – a loving mother, devoted wife, skilled professional and talented artist.

As one of Virginia’s first African-American dentists, she could have pursued several career paths that provided her fame, influence or wealth. Instead, she always put family first, never sought the limelight and consistently demonstrated her genuine belief in the equality that Dad so passionately advocated to achieve.

Mom has always exemplified a spirit of service and kindness. She is a woman of character, humility and compassion who dedicated her life to caring for others, even if it meant personal sacrifice. Even now as she battles dementia, my mother exemplifies what the phrase “love is a verb” really means.

If you could spend a day with a historical or fictional character, who would it be?

It would be life-changing to spend a day with Mohandas Gandhi (aka Mahatma Gandhi). His deep faith and profound demonstration of how to use nonviolent principles and peaceful disobedience to bring about change not only transformed a nation but set a powerful example to other great leaders, like our own Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Particularly during times like these, it would be so inspiring to meet a man whose wisdom has proved to be timeless and who left us quotes like: “When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fail. Think of it – always!” Enough said.

What is your favorite thing about the Richmond region?

There is so much to love about metro Richmond! Yet one of its greatest qualities is the generosity of our philanthropic community. This region is fortunate because it has forward-looking foundations, companies and individuals who generously and strategically invest in endeavors that improve our region.

If you had to pick a different profession or course of study, what would you choose?

I would choose to be a minister. I can’t imagine having a higher calling or more impactful means by which to transform lives than encouraging, comforting, challenging and inspiring others through the power of their faith.

What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?

My greatest strength is my ability to effectively advocate for a cause in which I believe. When I am passionate about a cause or principle, I have been told that I communicate it with conviction and in a compelling manner that is highly persuasive.

That passion can also become my greatest weakness. When I believe with all my heart and soul in a cause or principle, it’s sometimes hard for me to manage my passion and desire to effect change by maintaining a “normal” work-life balance.

If you could deliver a message to a large audience, what would it be?

The message I strive to deliver every day is that an investment in our children is an investment in all our futures – and our present. Children are tomorrow’s leaders who are being shaped by what is happening today. We pay the cost today by not finding them a family who will greatly influence their tomorrows. We should all strive to ensure children are provided the love, safety, education and moral supports they need to thrive.

Every child deserves hope and the best that our society has to offer. We have an obligation to model for children how to embrace the value of working together to promote peace, love, mutual respect and prosperity – for all.

In times like these – when there is a growing embrace of stereotypes and mistruths, and when distrust and divisiveness appear to be gaining momentum – it’s more critical than ever to demonstrate to children and youth how principles like truth, justice, equity and inclusion ultimately benefit us all.

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