Myra Dumapias

Tckid Interim Executive Director
November 2010
Email: execdirector@tckid.com

Myra is a multi-talented manager, energetic teacher, creative guitarist, and the queen of “getting things done”. She understands what it means to live a full life. While working as a teacher and Executive Director in a non-profit organization, she still manages to find the time to raise her teenage son, listen compassionately to frustrated members with technical problems, and keeping staff morale high. Perhaps what is most extraordinary about Myra is her willingness to do ordinary things like pursuing her childhood dream: helping cross cultural people belong.

Myra is currently the manager and Interim Director of TCKid. She was a professor at San Antonio College and has several years of experience in the non-profit sector. She understands what it takes to keep the mission of an organization going, and has a knack for solving problems fast.

What People Say

“Myra is awesome!”

Myra is so easy to work with and talk to.  She will always check up on you and make sure things are clearly understood.  She does it in a way that’s easygoing and isn’t nagging at all.  She also always makes it a point to talk to you on a personal level, so you feel like you’re talking to a friend.  Myra is awesome!”

- Erin Sinogba

“She truly is a blessing in the TCKID community.”

“Myra has been very welcoming and understanding of her staff. For instance, she would ask how I am doing and offer emotional empathy and support to the challenges I was facing, having recently quit a job and in a difficult transition to the next step. Myra has also been very welcoming to the TCKID community, opening her arms to anyone who needs support. ”

-Michelle Kim

“Myra is the perfect person to be leading TCKID.”

“Myra and I spoke on the phone once and we hit it off right away.  What was supposed to be a 10 min conversation turned to an hour conversation.  Worldly, grounded, energetic, open to new ideas and extremely committed to leading the third culture kids community.  I could hear the enthusiasm in her voice when she talked about the big vision for the tckid: the outreach programs and fundraising ideas. She has proven to be extremely reliable well organized and very easy to get long with.”

- Aga Magdolen

“Myra is just like me, but better. She definitely spells better than me, I can’t even understand my own handwriting! She has a big heart for TCKID.. and after meeting her face to face with her teenage son, also a TCK, I feel confident she’s the right person to represent this community.”

- Brice Royer

(Trailer from Charter of Compassion. Share your ideas and win prizes! (Competition is over.) Winners of the best idea has been announced! Scroll below to see the finalists.)

What does it mean for you and Third Culture Kids?

• Unique opportunity to have your creative ideas featured and reach massive media coverage.
• Making a difference by showing stories of compassion and forgiveness from around the globe.
• Prize: Ruth Van Reken will offer 3 autographed copies of the Third Culture Kid book to the winner(s) and finalists!

Compassion doesn’t mean feeling sorry for people. It doesn’t mean pity. It means putting yourself in the position of the other, learning about the other. Learning what’s motivating the other, learning about their grievances. – Karen Armstrong.

What to do next?

• VOTE FOR THESE SUGGESTIONS: (Share your ideas).

[poll id="3"]

Thank you,

Judging Committee:

Dr. Paulette Bethel, Ruth Van Reken, Kimberly Van Cleave Michaels of FIGT and Erin Sinogba.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Dear Contestants – thank you for participating, for sharing your ideas with the community.

We are happy to announce to you that we have the 3 winners of the books donated by Ruth E. Van Reken’s, NEW REVISED EDITION: Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, Revised Edition by David C. Pollack and Ruth E. Van Reken.

The judging committee has been busy the past month reading and selecting finalists, from among 84 excellent ideas we had to choose from to select the 4 books winners. Their submissions will be become part of the finalists ideas that were originally provided and voted upon.

THE WINNERS OF THE BOOKS AND FINALISTS ENTRIES OF THE TCKID CHARTER OF COMPASSION COMPETITION 2009 ARE:

1. Compassion in 100 Languages. A Video presentation of Global Nomads speak the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you.”

Winner: Takako

2. A Day in Your Shoes: Ask someone in your life, or a stranger if appropriate (or go to an agency or organization or nursing home or somewhere) if you can spend some time with them as they live with something difficult.

Winner: Kathryn Cole

3. A “Day of Awesomeness”. We spend most of our time looking at other people’s faults, criticizing them either because we disagree with them or because it helps them improve themselves or what they do, and that can be painful. Take a day to look at everyone you know and strangers you encounter, think about what makes them awesome and affirm them.

Winner: John Chuidian

4. “Idea of the day for Globalizing Compassion”. Select from all the contributions you get for this initiative the 365/366 most creative and diverse ideas, prepare with those a daily “E-idea of the day for Globalizing Compassion”

Winner: joining hands

We will release the overall competition winning idea in the very near future. Again, thank you everyone for your energy, creativity and sharing of ideas with the TCKID community and the TCKID Charter of Compassion Competition!