There has been a definitive and progressive arc to Markita Payne’s involvement in Women’s Impact Fund (WIF). In April 2022, Markita will celebrate her sixth complete year of membership in the organization, and during this time, she has been both a member, a leader, and always an active participant in WIF activities and philanthropy. In her first two years of membership, Markita participated in the Finance and Community Impact Committees. In her third year, she remained engaged in the Finance Committee, joined the Strategic Planning Committee, and was elected as Chair of the Community Impact Committee. Six months later, she was tapped to become the interim Strategic Planning Chair and a Board of Directors member. Building on this work, in her fourth year within WIF, she was elected as Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and again served as a member of the Board of Directors. During her fifth year of membership, she served as Secretary of the Board of Directors, an Executive Committee Member, and a member of the DEI Task Force. “In my current role, I serve as Incoming Governance Chair and am honored to remain engaged with DEI efforts by serving on the Membership Practices & Engagement Work Group,” states Markita.
Given the tremendous amount she has contributed to the organization, it is unsurprising that Markita’s advice to other WIF members is to “engage.” “In my experience, the best way to truly become educated about an organization is to become active. There are various WIF Committees, Committee Cabinet leadership, Board and Board leadership opportunities available to engage in annually,” she notes. As she has done, Markita encourages members, both new and old alike, to pursue an area of interest. “Engagement in WIF is not prescribed. Instead, it is and should be a reflection of an individual member’s choice and what passions she has.” Markita also comments, “I would describe WIF as a collection of very progressive and successful women. One of the advantages of WIF membership, which I’ve personally experienced, is through one’s WIF efforts, you will be extended the pleasure to nurture very diverse and genuine relationships.” These relationships, rooted in common interests and fostered by engagement, are an absolute cornerstone of the WIF membership experience.
In her professional life, Markita is a Senior Manager within the Strategic Portfolio Management Office of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Clinical Trial Division (CTD). Through her professional role, Markita is responsible for facilitating the leadership team’s process of building a positive culture, which drives their teams and organizations toward success. “I love being able to make an impact across multiple lines of businesses within the CTD organization and to improve client and patient experiences while advancing society,” she states.
Outside of WIF and work, Markita is a wife, mother, grandmother, and wine lover who loves traveling, gardening, and cooking. She notes, “I am passionate about building a life of well-being with my family through my cooking!” In addition, Markita is also actively involved in giving back to local communities. She volunteers at Safe Alliance, an organization whose mission is to provide hope and healing for those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault, as Development Chair and Incoming Board Chair.
American author Margaret “Meg” Wheatley is attributed with the following quote, “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” It is obvious through her engagement, her commitment to those things she is passionate about, and her individual and collective community impact that Markita Payne is truly the type of power for change Meg Wheatley described.
