Dublin-Worthington News Stories

Sunday, October 24, 2021
By: Paul J. Cynkar
Advancing the Leadership Mindset
Finding Success in the Success of Others
Paul Cynkar, October 2021
This is another in a series of member profiles based on discovery interviews that were designed to get an up close view of the traits and strengths of Rotary members who provide leadership to this organization.
Membership Spotlight: Nick Linkenhoker
Analytic, Community Focus, Learner

Tell us about yourself.  Give us three facts that include information about your family, your career and your pastimes.
I am the executive director of the Worthington Resource Pantry on Huntley Rd.  I am married to my wife, Jeanine, and we have a two and a half year old daughter named Helen. I have been in non- profit leadership for 12 years which has included time with the Boy Scouts of America and a hospice agency.  I have been with the Worthington Resource Pantry for 6 years. I am attracted to non-profits because I love working with people and I like interacting with volunteers who give so much of themselves with compassion instead of compensation.  When I have time, I enjoy camping, national parks and nature hikes.  I am planning a trip to Lake Superior with my dad.  It’s a wilderness trip…a real getaway!

How long have you belonged to Rotary?  What’s the best thing about membership?
I joined Rotary in 2017.  The best part is that it has helped me become more involved in our community.  It has enabled me to connect with civic and business leaders. I am also very interested in community development which includes economic development, community housing and fundraising.

As you look back on your life and your career, where and when did you have the biggest impact on others?  Who was impacted and how?
The thing that is most important for me has been, and is, spending time teaming with people to make a difference on, with and for others.

As you look back, which of the opportunities you’ve had has been the most fulfilling to you personally?  Why?
I would trace back to my days as an Eagle Scout in Bellevue, Ohio (near Sandusky).  As I project I worked with city officials to restore and display a Civil War era cannon.  I helped design and build an historically accurate mounting that enabled the cannon to be placed in the city hall.  It is still there today and it is a proud artifact of the community.

Describe the most challenging project you’ve ever worked on.  What was your role?  What was the result?  What did you learn?
I’ll refer back to my time as an adult leader with the Boy Scouts of America.  It was my fourth month on the job. We had a summer day camp scheduled for 120 boys.  Three days before the event, the camp director and several staff resigned.  That left us in a crisis situation.  In a very short span of time we were able to recruit new volunteers, plan activities for the campers and give the boys a great experience.  It was an opportunity to arise to a challenge and make it work.

What are some things you are passionate about?  What really excites you? What gets your adrenalin flowing?  What makes your heart sing?
I am passionate about making a difference in my community.  For me, community is broadly defined geographically as well as any organization where I am involved.  I consider Rotary as one of my communities.

What are you especially skilled at?  What is something that others often tell you that they think makes you stand out?
Others have told me that I’m good at analyzing situations to determine what is needed.  From there I am able to take a step back to consider the goals and what we are trying to accomplish.  From there, and often with a team, we create a vision and the strategies to address the issues.

When you have a moment to sit back and think (dream) about your future, what do you think about?  What things would you like to do in your life that you haven’t gotten around to yet?  Is there something else you would like to accomplish?
I aspire to be a lifelong learner.  Recently I returned to The Ohio State University to take classes in non-profit and public service leadership.  Continuing education gives me the opportunity to learn more and get better at what I do.  It also gives me the capacity to do more. On the personal side, because of my interest in camping, national parks and nature, I want to continue to explore opportunities regarding the ways the people and nature connect.

If you could choose anyone (alive or deceased) to have lunch with, who would it be? Why?
That would be Abraham Lincoln.  I’d want to talk with him about what it was like to be a problem solver in a time of intense conflict.  How did he maintain such a positive attitude when the people and things around him were in crisis?  Lincoln was such a great story teller.  He had a strong sense of how to get a message across and he was able to find the right words and ideas to influence others.

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