Meet Katie Lechner, the chief operating officer at Tabitha.
Tell us a little about your business. – Tabitha (www.tabitha.org) is Nebraska’s local industry-leading and quality award-winning senior care expert. Tabitha offers results-driven rehabilitation, accessible at-home health care, innovative living communities, and compassionate hospice services.
How did you get started in the business? – I grew up in Lincoln so I was familiar with Tabitha, but my only experience in the senior field was from volunteering at an assisted living community as a kid. I was working for another business that I loved, but it required me to travel often. With a brand new baby at home, I knew I wanted to find an organization that I could love and was close to home. A friend of mine who worked at Tabitha at the time informed me that they were seeking someone with the talent and skill set that I had, so I made the switch in 2015.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – I began my role as COO at Tabitha when COVID broke. There is truly no faster way to learn the ins and outs of operations than when you are in a pandemic.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – My growth at Tabitha. In my seven years, I’ve had three different roles. I started as an organizational development and culture specialist, then became VP of talent and culture, and then stepped in as COO. The work of re-organizing and re-designing our talent and culture team (formerly called human resources) is probably one of my proudest achievements, as I think it has been one of the most impactful on our organization.
Tell us a little about your family. – My husband Jay and I have been married for almost 11 years. We have two girls, Carter (7) and Charlie (5), who are two of the sweetest, funniest, and kindest humans on earth. We have a 10-year-old tank of a golden retriever, Miley, whose claim to fame is eating anything and everything she can fi nd on our kitchen counter. My parents and younger brother still live in Lincoln also!
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – In the winter, shop! In the spring and summer, I claim to be an amateur landscape artist (is that a thing?). I love plants and being outside.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – My husband and I met on a beach in Florida in college…even though we grew up in the same town, went to rival high schools, and had a ton of mutual friends.
Who inspires you? – My parents! Though they were very career-focused, they never missed a dance recital, cheer event, practice, or piano lesson. It’s so important to me that my children grow up with the same values and feel that same love and presence from Jay and me. My parents are retired now. I still go to lunch with them a couple of times a month. They are great listeners, have a ton of wisdom, and are just fun to be with.
What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – “May the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows.”
If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? – Kind.
What is your favorite movie? – I could watch Pretty Woman 100 times and not get sick of it.
What is your favorite local restaurant? – Lazlo’s Brewery & Grill.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 486-8551; katie.lechner@tabitha.org; www.tabitha.org.