Vicki Palefsky is a retired management consultant with a lifelong commitment to the arts. She has served on countless boards in recent years and currently serves on the board of the Alliance Theatre, in Atlanta, Georgia.
She pours her time, energy and resources in civic engagement and her dedication to Atlanta’s arts and culture scene is quite remarkable. In 2019, Vicki and husband, Howard Palefsky, were honored with an ArtsATL Luminary Award for Philanthropic Legacy.
Her past career includes numerous senior leadership roles in both the private and public sectors. Previously a resident of Birmingham, Alabama, Vicki served in various institutions and in various capacities including: President of the American Society for Training and Development, Birmingham; Vice Chair of the Birmingham Public Library; Founding Member, Council of Human Resources.
She also served in various capacities in United Way, The Women’s Network, Women’s Business Owner’s Council, Birmingham International Educational Film Festival, Southeastern Electric Exchange Educational Services, Alabama State Department of Energy.
Vicki volunteers her leadership skills in the world of arts and culture by chairing and co-chairing galas, balls, and auctions, most notably the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Gala, the inaugural Alliance Theatre Tony Evening, and the Atlanta Opera 40th Anniversary Gala.
Committed to making the arts widely accessible, Vicki and Howard are underwriters of the Palefsky Collision Project, a summer residency for high-schoolers at the Alliance Theatre.
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Sneak Peek Into What You’ll Learn…
03:05 – Vicki explains how her great love of and commitment to the arts was born and grew over time.
06:07 – Vicki highlights the academic and social benefits of exposing children to the arts–research confirms the exposure makes an important and profound difference.
11:38 – Vicki has always been interested in working with people and volunteering. She shares how her family decided to move to Atlanta and why they became committed members of the arts scene.
20:40 – The older you get, the fewer things you fear. Vicki reveals why she considers herself a child of privilege despite growing up poor, and why she feels compelled to give back to society.
26:04 – Vicki addresses our relationship with money and the challenges women have in articulating their worth. Vicki shares why she advises women to start getting therapy early in life.
29:06 – Beware of “handing off your anvils to your children” in this relay of life. Vicki talks about breaking the cycle of dysfunction and shares life lessons she learned from her grandmother.
34:20 – Vicki tells me more about the experiences that shaped her philosophy of life and the influences that inspired her vision to create the life she wanted.
38:27 – We often get side-tracked by inconveniences and confuse them for real catastrophes. Vicki discusses why she recommends just doing the next right thing, no matter what.
44:10 – Kindness and gratitude: Vicki explains why she respects these qualities when she sees them in others. She goes on to share what she’s excited about at this point in her life’s journey.
47:28 – Brass Tacks: The lightning round of concrete advice and tips.
Quotable quotes:
“Once people understand the value of the arts, it is often such an important part of their lives in terms of having healthy balanced lives.”
“Love is all there is and people are all that matters.”
“The worst mistake you make is not who you are… You’re a perfect child of God and you’re enough.”
“Just keep doing the next right thing.”
“I don’t hang out with people who are not grateful… It’s not really a matter of what you have; it’s an attitude.”
