Meet Katherine
Katherine Fralin, PhD, develops and implements leadership programming for the Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University. She also consults with executive directors and CEOs across the globe to support their ongoing leadership development. Actively engaged in the arts and community building in Roanoke, Katherine co-founded a music venue, co-produced an outdoor theater festival, co-facilitated forums engaging opposing sides in productive conversations across political issues, and developed a number of other arts and community initiatives. She has served on many non-profit boards. Several of those posts were on founding boards including her current service as a founding board member of the Roanoke Cultural Endowment.
What strengths did you observe in the family? What did you learn from family? What were your takeaways?
The strength of relationship that Landis has established with the entire family shone through their excitement over her arrival and the complete comfort they had with her. It felt like an experienced, wise and helpful neighbor had dropped by for a visit on the porch. She spent 95% of the time listening. Simply hearing about the number of meetings and shuttling kids (not to mention jobs!) the parents manage overwhelmed me. Yet, while Mom clearly had an incredible amount of caretaking for multiple children on her plate, her face burst into a huge smile knowing that she had a foster child on the way. Her children were open and thrilled to share their vibrant drawings, mint leaves pulled from the yard to chew, and, of course, Halloween costumes with me, the new stranger sitting on their railing. It was such a beautiful opportunity to witness such dedication: the dedication of hardworking parents to their children and their neighbors' children, the dedication of the case managers and nurses to their families and CHIP's dedication to responsive, collaborative service based on a deep connection to the families they serve.