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Personal Peek : Denise Vasquez Troutman is an Energetic Woman
By Lucy M. Pritchett • Photos by Ewa Wojtkowska
Denise Vasquez Troutman, 43, is president and CEO of The Center for Women
and Families. She took the position in July 2006. She says that her first 100-day
plan involved spending 30 days meeting with and getting to know each staff
member, the next 30 days meeting with clients at the Center to understand their
experiences, and the final 40 days connecting with the Louisville community. She
was born in Belize and has lived in Trinidad, India, and Kenya as well as Chevy
Chase, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. She is married to Dr. Adewale Troutman.
Who she is: I am a passionate, energy-filled, West Indian feminist.
Hero: My mother. She lives in Naples, Fla.
Least favorite chore: Washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. But I love to
cook.
Breaks her heart: Suffering.
Fascinates her about the world: How small it is.
In 1991: I was manager of the human resources department for Oracle Corporation,
a cutting-edge technology company in the Washington, D.C. area.
Book that influenced her: Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz, president and
CEO of Starbucks.
Her soapbox:
Violence against women because I don’t think people know how prevalent it is.
Violence against women — domestic violence and rape/sexual assault — has to be
what the community rallies behind because it affects families. It is not a gender,
racial, or economic issue. We have clients from Prospect to Dixie Highway, from
Anchorage to the West End.
If she wasn’t with the Center: I would own a catering business or restaurant with an
international flair.
Louisville restaurants she favors: The Ethiopian restaurant Queen of Sheba on
Bardstown Road followed closely by Thai Smile on Preston Highway
Automobile: A Mercedes two-seater convertible.
Motto: “It takes a village”— a West African proverb.
Her mission: To eliminate violence against women. I am an optimist. Every day what
we do here reduces domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, and economic
hardship.
Organizational tool: I used Franklin Covey calendars since 1987, but when I came
here I started using Outlook calendar. I don’t like technology, but that works for me.
Energy level: I am so self-driven. I am thinking three steps ahead all the time. I
expect Rome to be built in a day. I take on way too much but somehow fit it all in.
Favorite artist: The Nigerian artist Bayo. He paints with oil on canvas using different
shades of one color, say, all blue and adds maybe a wisp of red. When you look
closely, you can make out that the shapes are people. The red turns out to be a
head scarf. (www.bayostudio.com)
Around the house: I wear boxers, a t-shirt, and my crocs.
Favorite time of day: The morning. I wake up at 6:30 and just get up and go. I love
life. I am happy every day because I can make a difference in someone’s life.
Must have every day: Pond’s face cream. I am a Pond’s girl. If I am traveling and
have forgotten it, I will go out and find a jar.
Shopping favorites: Anywhere from Saks to TJ Maxx. St. John Boutique. And I love
Nordstrom’s. I travel enough that I can always find a Nordstrom’s.
Gourmet treat: Fruit tarts, any flavor, from Whole Foods.
Spiritual practice: Before I get out of bed, I commune with and have conversations
with God.
Collections: I used to collect hotel shampoos and lotions in the hopes of giving them
away to homeless shelters. But it got a bit obsessive. I am learning to break away –
‘Step away from the little bottles of shampoo and conditioner.’
Most proud of:My children (Laura and Raphael) for their resilience through divorce,
their zest for life, and their sense of self.
Office touchstone: The Louisville Stoneware plate made for the dedication of the
Joan E. Thomas, M.D. campus.
Favorite place in Louisville: River Road.
Favorite quote:‘Be the change you want to see in the world,’ by Ghandi.
Naps: No. There is too much to do. I wish I never had to sleep.
Secret passion: I love cowboy boots. I buy them online at Justin’s. I love shoes in
general..
Relaxing ways: I don’t relax – I would be cooking or straightening. The only time I
relax is when I am sunbathing in Jamaica.
Pet peeve: Mediocrity
Favorite place in her house: The music and meditation room with its comfortable
chairs, piano, and waterfall.
Best advice given: My mom says, ‘Sleep with your own eye.’ This means use your
own judgment and don’t allow others to influence you. Your decisions are your own.
Creative outlet: Cooking. I love food presentation from Asian to Southern, Indian to
German. I don’t use a recipe but each style uses key ingredients, for example,
German food uses pork, apples and cabbage.
Favorite part of the job: The interaction with the clients and being able to tell our
story publicly. Knowing that we are folks who make a difference.
Management style: ‘Leadership by walking around.’ I intentionally find time to walk
through the center and chat. I stop and listen.
On the future: Personally, that I will continue to do great things at the Center. As for
the world, it will continue to get smaller.
The world would be a better place if….We treated each other as we would want to
be treated.
By Lucy M. Pritchett • Photos by Ewa Wojtkowska
Denise Vasquez Troutman, 43, is president and CEO of The Center for Women
and Families. She took the position in July 2006. She says that her first 100-day
plan involved spending 30 days meeting with and getting to know each staff
member, the next 30 days meeting with clients at the Center to understand their
experiences, and the final 40 days connecting with the Louisville community. She
was born in Belize and has lived in Trinidad, India, and Kenya as well as Chevy
Chase, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. She is married to Dr. Adewale Troutman.
Who she is: I am a passionate, energy-filled, West Indian feminist.
Hero: My mother. She lives in Naples, Fla.
Least favorite chore: Washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. But I love to
cook.
Breaks her heart: Suffering.
Fascinates her about the world: How small it is.
In 1991: I was manager of the human resources department for Oracle Corporation,
a cutting-edge technology company in the Washington, D.C. area.
Book that influenced her: Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz, president and
CEO of Starbucks.
Her soapbox:
Violence against women because I don’t think people know how prevalent it is.
Violence against women — domestic violence and rape/sexual assault — has to be
what the community rallies behind because it affects families. It is not a gender,
racial, or economic issue. We have clients from Prospect to Dixie Highway, from
Anchorage to the West End.
If she wasn’t with the Center: I would own a catering business or restaurant with an
international flair.
Louisville restaurants she favors: The Ethiopian restaurant Queen of Sheba on
Bardstown Road followed closely by Thai Smile on Preston Highway
Automobile: A Mercedes two-seater convertible.
Motto: “It takes a village”— a West African proverb.
Her mission: To eliminate violence against women. I am an optimist. Every day what
we do here reduces domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, and economic
hardship.
Organizational tool: I used Franklin Covey calendars since 1987, but when I came
here I started using Outlook calendar. I don’t like technology, but that works for me.
Energy level: I am so self-driven. I am thinking three steps ahead all the time. I
expect Rome to be built in a day. I take on way too much but somehow fit it all in.
Favorite artist: The Nigerian artist Bayo. He paints with oil on canvas using different
shades of one color, say, all blue and adds maybe a wisp of red. When you look
closely, you can make out that the shapes are people. The red turns out to be a
head scarf. (www.bayostudio.com)
Around the house: I wear boxers, a t-shirt, and my crocs.
Favorite time of day: The morning. I wake up at 6:30 and just get up and go. I love
life. I am happy every day because I can make a difference in someone’s life.
Must have every day: Pond’s face cream. I am a Pond’s girl. If I am traveling and
have forgotten it, I will go out and find a jar.
Shopping favorites: Anywhere from Saks to TJ Maxx. St. John Boutique. And I love
Nordstrom’s. I travel enough that I can always find a Nordstrom’s.
Gourmet treat: Fruit tarts, any flavor, from Whole Foods.
Spiritual practice: Before I get out of bed, I commune with and have conversations
with God.
Collections: I used to collect hotel shampoos and lotions in the hopes of giving them
away to homeless shelters. But it got a bit obsessive. I am learning to break away –
‘Step away from the little bottles of shampoo and conditioner.’
Most proud of:My children (Laura and Raphael) for their resilience through divorce,
their zest for life, and their sense of self.
Office touchstone: The Louisville Stoneware plate made for the dedication of the
Joan E. Thomas, M.D. campus.
Favorite place in Louisville: River Road.
Favorite quote:‘Be the change you want to see in the world,’ by Ghandi.
Naps: No. There is too much to do. I wish I never had to sleep.
Secret passion: I love cowboy boots. I buy them online at Justin’s. I love shoes in
general..
Relaxing ways: I don’t relax – I would be cooking or straightening. The only time I
relax is when I am sunbathing in Jamaica.
Pet peeve: Mediocrity
Favorite place in her house: The music and meditation room with its comfortable
chairs, piano, and waterfall.
Best advice given: My mom says, ‘Sleep with your own eye.’ This means use your
own judgment and don’t allow others to influence you. Your decisions are your own.
Creative outlet: Cooking. I love food presentation from Asian to Southern, Indian to
German. I don’t use a recipe but each style uses key ingredients, for example,
German food uses pork, apples and cabbage.
Favorite part of the job: The interaction with the clients and being able to tell our
story publicly. Knowing that we are folks who make a difference.
Management style: ‘Leadership by walking around.’ I intentionally find time to walk
through the center and chat. I stop and listen.
On the future: Personally, that I will continue to do great things at the Center. As for
the world, it will continue to get smaller.
The world would be a better place if….We treated each other as we would want to
be treated.