Meet Movement Maker Atlanta McIlwraith
VF Corporation Movement Makers Blog
At VF, we power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. This is our Purpose and it is powered by our Movement Makers—associates who are committed to making a positive impact in their communities and around the world. In this series, we’ll feature these associates and highlight how they’re doing their part to make the world a better place.
Senior Manager, Community Engagement and Communication, Timberland®
13 years with Timberland
Stratham, New Hampshire
A little bit about me
I grew up in England, the San Francisco Bay area, and New Jersey with some extended time abroad in Paris, India, Bangkok and West Africa. Experiencing different places taught me so much about other cultures, as well as how to adapt to new people and communities. Those experiences have played a key role in shaping the work I do at Timberland. They also help me drive our brand purpose to inspire and equip people to step outside, work together, and make the world better.
A typical day for me
There isn’t a typical day, which is one of the reasons I love what I do. My work centers around ensuring Timberland’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda plays out with consistency and impact around the world. From leading our Global Stewards program, made up of Timberland associates from more than 19 countries who help drive CSR in their communities, to working with partners to reintroduce organic cotton farming to smallholder farmers in Haiti, to storytelling and sharing best practices with global companies—each day is full of exciting challenges and opportunities.
What drives me to be a Movement Maker
I’m driven by a desire to do my part to make the world and people’s lives better.
Movements I power
Through my role at Timberland, I’m able to touch on all of VF’s Purpose Territories. But in my personal life, I power Outside Matters and Worthy Work. I’m a coach for Girls on the Run, a nonprofit focused on helping girls tap into their limitless potential through running, and I’m a Girl Scouts troop leader.
Through my work with these two organizations I’m able to expose young girls to the benefits of the outdoors, which ties back to our Outside Matters movement. This is really personal to me because as a child one of my favorite memories was taking long walks with my family on the weekends. It was a chance for us to connect with one another and with nature. Being outdoors centers me, and I want to pass that along to the girls that I work with.
I also power Worthy Work through a 22-acre cut-your-own organic Christmas tree farm and a nonprofit organization my husband Tim and I started called Willow Brook Farm & Art Center (named for our nine-year-old daughter, Willow). My husband and I started Willow Brook to serve as an incubator and launchpad for beginning organic farmers. We help young farmers gain vital skills and build a sustainable farm business so they are better equipped to continue farming to benefit their communities and the world.
How VF helps me power my Movement
Timberland’s Path of ServiceTM program offers 40 paid hours of community service time each year. That time is an amazing gift. VF also helps me power my movements since my role continually exposes me to committed people who are working on important causes around the world. The opportunity to meet such passionate leaders inspires me, gives me new ideas and helps connect me with key changemakers. As VF has become more purpose-driven, it’s been super exciting and inspiring to see the broad-scale impact VF can have on the world.
