In early March, Missouri State alumna, Amber Riddle, was named to the Board of Directors for the Pediatric Brain Foundation.
The Pediatric Brain Foundation is a Missouri-based not for profit which provides financial support to families with children suffering from neurological disorders, brain cancers, traumatic brain injuries and other diagnoses.
Riddle was introduced to the Pediatric Brain Foundation when she became the director of finance and human resources for Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool in 2016. Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool is a Springfield-based childcare program.
The foundation was founded as the Children’s Neurobiological Solutions Foundation in 2002 by Fia and Phill Richmond after spending years seeking answers to explain their son’s undiagnosed neurological condition.
Founders of Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool, Rochette and Matt Dahler, took over leadership in 2014 as the Pediatric Foundation.
From the start, Riddle was enamored by the work being done.
“My involvement with the foundation was very natural and organic,” Riddle said. “I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
In addition to her responsibilities as CFO, she is now involved in the foundation’s overall strategic directions as well as the overall mission and vision of the organization.
Rewarding work
“The one thing that rings true in both positions is the positive impact on others,” she said. “The ability to help families through the Pediatric Brain Foundation is a huge blessing. I will never get tired of providing joy and hope to families that are embarking on a journey they never signed up for. The number of families we can positively impact through Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool is something I am fortunate to see the evidence of daily. It is truly something that I will be forever grateful to be a part of.”
Building a strong foundation
In 2009, Riddle received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from MSU and went on to receive her MBA in 2016.
“Missouri State gave me the necessary educational tools that are needed to be successful in the accounting industry,” said Riddle.
As an undergraduate accounting major, Riddle knew she wanted to chart a course toward one day becoming a CFO. This is why she chose the MBA program for graduate education.
Riddle especially enjoyed her lecture classes in the MBA program.
“I really enjoyed the lecture style and in-depth conversations I had with my professors and classmates,” Riddle said. “I found that I was extremely interested in learning from the work and life experience of others and how I could leverage that, along with my personal experience, for my own success.”
Throughout her education, Riddle always wanted to work for a company she believed in and learn as much as she could with the hopes of eventually becoming a CFO.
“I am very fortunate that my career plan has become my reality,” Riddle said.
Learn more about the MBA program.