Nonprofit Leadership Podcast:

Episode: "One Social Impact Leader’s Journey of Leadership and Personal Growth"
Host: Dr. Rob Harter
Guest: Jill Koski, President & CEO, The Morton Arboretum
Date: September 22, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Jill Koski’s personal and professional journey to leading The Morton Arboretum and her evolution as a nonprofit leader. Through candid stories, practical insights, and reflections on setbacks and victories, Jill shares how developing patterns, systems, and boundaries has shaped her leadership. The conversation is especially rich for anyone interested in nonprofit careers, cultivating effective leadership, and making lasting community impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jill Koski’s Career Path: From 'Arts Kid' to CEO

• Jill describes an unexpected journey: starting in arts and culture, experiencing various jobs, then entering science-based cultural institutions.
• Early exposure to the outdoors as a child (camping, time in fields, a symbolic white oak tree) influenced her environmental values.
• Entry into the field was “a bit of a long and windy road” ([03:23]).
• Mentors and volunteer experiences (Chicago Children’s Museum) opened doors to museum and nonprofit work.
• Moving from roles in fundraising at the Arboretum to CEO positions:
  • Built fundraising programs at The Morton Arboretum.
  • Went to Ohio for her first CEO position before returning to The Morton Arboretum as president and CEO.

Notable Quote

"It was natural for me to be outdoors and I believe everyone has a tree story... as you look back, it all kind of threads together."
— Jill Koski ([03:23])

2. Lessons from Setbacks and Victories

• Major lesson: "Sometimes it's not your turn" ([07:28]). Career advancement doesn’t always follow a straight line.
• Not getting chosen for roles or opportunities isn’t personal—often about timing and fit.
• Making the difficult decision to move to Ohio for a CEO position was both the hardest and most rewarding career move.
• Emphasizes the importance of resilience and humility.

Notable Quote

"What I realized is I'd been given every opportunity I could within this region or Chicago. In order to take the CEO opportunity that was going to keep me in this field... I needed to leave. And it was the hardest thing I'd ever done... and the most rewarding."
— Jill Koski ([07:28])

3. Passion vs. Patterns: Systems for Leadership Success

• Passion is essential, but not enough; consistent systems and personal habits drive results.
• Jill’s daily ritual: Writing the top three priorities on a Post-it each morning and revisiting them at day’s end ([11:42]).
• Value of an uncluttered, organized work environment and mental "white space" for focus and creativity.
• Importance of delegation: learning to let go of tasks others can handle better.

Notable Quote

"If I'm good at nothing else, I'm good at sorting and organizing... setting priorities. I can walk in every day, and my day is never the same... I've really learned how to say this is what I need to be doing right now. And it's only these three things."
— Jill Koski ([11:42])

4. The Power of Saying No

• Saying no is crucial for mission focus and leadership sustainability ([16:44]).
• Regularly returns to the Arboretum's mission and strategic priorities to evaluate new opportunities.
• Hardest "nos": declining external commitments and handing opportunities to others on her team.
• Saying no allows others to grow and prevents burnout.

Notable Quotes

"It takes a lot of practice to say no... what I need to do every single day is remind ourselves we have a really clear mission... how do we stay in our lane?"
— Jill Koski ([16:44])

"It's saying no, because it's not about me. It's about my organization. And I... shouldn't always do it. Even if I have the battle, it's sometimes better for me to say no and give the opportunity to someone else on my team."
— Jill Koski ([16:44])

5. Playing to Strengths vs. Wearing Many Hats

• Transitioning from chief fundraiser to CEO required conscious boundaries—letting go of former responsibilities ([21:34]).
• As a non-scientist, trusts and uplifts her scientific staff as organizational experts.
• Views herself as a leader and facilitator, not the sole expert or the most accomplished specialist.

Notable Quote

"My gifts are best fitted and best suited to being the CEO. But that does not make me the expert in plants and science... I get to showcase the really amazing, brilliant people who work in the areas that require specific science conservation expertise."
— Jill Koski ([21:34])

6. Breaking Ground as the First Female CEO

• Jill is the first woman and fourth overall leader in the Arboretum’s 100+ year history ([25:41]).
• Hired during the Arboretum’s centennial with the explicit mandate to craft its next century of relevance.
• Sees her role as stewarding a legacy: “My job isn't to be thinking about what's going to happen today or tomorrow or even the next year... my job is to think about further out than that.”

Notable Quote

"I wake up every day just thinking, you know, what I'm trying to do is to do my job for the next person and the next person after that who comes after me. And hopefully a hundred years from now, I'll just have added to some of that story along the way."
— Jill Koski ([25:41])

7. Advice for Social Impact Leaders

• Recognized as community leader of the year for Environment and Sustainability.
• Community work is about partnership—not imposing the organization’s ideas, but listening and responding to what the community needs ([29:05]).
• True community engagement is relationship-driven, capacity-building, and long-term.

Notable Quote

"There is no community work that is about a one and done... It's about building a relationship with the people who are there, understanding the specific needs that they have and then adjusting and modifying to work with them for shared goals."
— Jill Koski ([29:05])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:01–03:23: Introduction, podcast purpose, Jill Koski’s background
• 03:23–07:10: Jill's path into nonprofit leadership, childhood influence
• 07:10–11:42: Biggest setbacks and victories, lessons learned from career moves
• 11:42–14:23: Systems, patterns, and daily leadership habits
• 16:44–19:52: The art of saying no, protecting focus and opportunity for others
• 21:34–25:03: Playing to strengths, boundaries, and learning from expert team members
• 25:41–28:42: Reflections on being the Arboretum’s first female president & CEO
• 29:05–32:31: Advice on genuine community engagement and capacity building
• 32:40–33:22: Where to connect with Jill and learn more about The Morton Arboretum

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• "Sometimes it's not your turn. And that's a really hard lesson." — Jill Koski ([07:28])
• "If I'm good at nothing else, I'm good at sorting and organizing... setting priorities." — Jill Koski ([11:42])
• "It's saying no, because it's not about me. It's about my organization." — Jill Koski ([16:44])
• "Your job is not to be the smartest or most accomplished person in the room. You're just to be the leader in the room." — Dr. Rob Harter ([25:03])
• "Everything that's worth doing takes time and it's not a clear cut, it's going to be different every single time." — Jill Koski ([29:05])

Connect with Jill Koski & Morton Arboretum

• Website: mortonarb.org
• LinkedIn: Connect with Jill Koski
• In Person: Visit The Morton Arboretum, 30 minutes from downtown Chicago

Final Thoughts

Jill Koski’s thoughtful, honest reflections offer actionable leadership wisdom:

• Be open to twists in your career path and trust the process.
• Passion matters, but sustained patterns, focus, and boundaries make sustained impact possible.
• Effective leadership means prioritizing, delegating, and developing others—even when it means saying no.
• The work of nonprofit leadership is most rewarding when it’s rooted in genuine partnership and a long-term, community-centered vision.

For more resources and past interviews, visit nonprofitleadershippodcast.org