Lives of Consequence
Carol Scalea DeMoulin '81
President of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester
Rochester, N.Y.
Arriving at William Smith as a first-year, Carol Scalea DeMoulin ’81 was sure of one thing: she loved to write. An English major at the Colleges, DeMoulin went on to earn her master’s degree in communications and public relations from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. As part of the program, DeMoulin completed an internship at a prestigious advertising agency, and a practicum at a local non-profit. To her surprise, she was less energized by the work at the advertising agency and loved her work at the non-profit – a defining moment for her.
After graduating from Syracuse, DeMoulin began her career in the non-profit sector with her first job in fundraising for the American Cancer Society in 1983. In 1986, she moved to non-profit management as the executive director for the Leukemia Society of America. She has served in senior non-profit positions since then, and currently serves as the president of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, N.Y., Inc. Ronald McDonald Houses act as a place to stay for families with hospitalized children who are receiving treatment. Prior to joining Ronald McDonald House in 2010, she worked for the Catholic Family Center and Arthritis Foundation.
“One of my favorite things about my position with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester is knowing that, every day, the work we do makes a significant difference in the lives of parents and family members who are going through the terrible crisis of having critically ill children…this is something that no parent ever plans on, and no one is equipped to deal with.” she says. “It turns out to be the smallest and simplest of things that lighten the burden that our families deal with on a daily basis. It is fulfilling and humbling to be able to provide that help.”
The skills DeMoulin learned at HWS have helped her in her 30-plus year career in the non-profit sector. “While I greatly appreciated these opportunities at the time, I learned years later how truly valuable they were in terms of building my organizational, management, assessment, presentation, and listening skills,” she says. “My involvement in campus life gave me a platform to grow into myself, gain self-confidence and gain a sense of how an individual can be an important contributor to ‘community.’”
While at the Colleges, DeMoulin was elected secretary of William Smith Congress, and stayed involved for many years, meeting students and administrators, and learning about the Colleges and campus life. She also served as chair for the resident adviser council, was head resident adviser of Hirshson and Blackwell Houses, served on several search committees and was a student representative to a trustee committee. DeMoulin was also a member of the Clowning Club, a group of students that visited the hospital and local activities in Geneva to “spread a little cheer.”
DeMoulin resides in Rochester with her husband and children. Outside of her work with Ronald McDonald House, she is a member of the Rochester Rotary and an ex-officio member of the Golisano Children’s Hospital Board.