I chose this photograph for three reasons.

First, it shows me communicating emphatically. Hand gestures are a good thing when they convey conviction; movements that convey nervousness or apprehension aren't. I believe in what I do and the people for whom I do it.

Second, I remember the story I was telling about innovations my organization helped launch. I've lived nearly all of my professional life at the intersection of making the world fairer, healthier, safer, and better educated and creating powerful text and images.

I began as a reporter — at the New Orleans Times-Picayune/States-Item, the St. Petersburg Times, the Dallas Morning News, and Gannett News Service. I covered local, state, and national stories, work that won me a few journalism awards.

I became a strategic communications practitioner more than 25 years ago. I’ve helped some of the nation's most effective non-profits find their voice. I have led communications at every level and in several fields. As Chief Communications Officer of Miami-Dade County Public Schools — the nation's fourth largest school system, with 41,000 employees serving 360,000 children across 1,100 square miles — I ran three departments, managed a $10 million annual budget, launched a nationally recognized Parent Academy, and led crisis communications through hurricanes, fatalities, and high-stakes political battles. At Achieve, Inc., I helped drive the national conversation about college and career readiness, generating 34 million earned media impressions from a single report release. At GMMB, I directed integrated communications for a groundbreaking public health initiative, guided two of the nation's largest environmental advocacy groups through leadership transitions and crises, and built crisis communications plans for a federal agency and a commercial spaceflight company.

Third, research shows that the right photo or graphic makes content more memorable.