Erin Grizzle Jarrett, Advisory Panel Pick
Volunteer Leader. Consultant. Crown Winner.
Erin Grizzle Jarrett can wear a crown, lead a corporate project and shoot a mean bow. The 2009 Miss United States credits her Ellijay upbringing with keeping her grounded through it all. A consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, she helps improve federal government agencies while connecting the firm’s Atlanta employees with opportunities to serve their community. Off the clock, she’s a mom to 7-year-old Jameson and makes time for line dancing, skeet shooting and family. Guiding every role is a conviction that “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
How did you make service part of your corporate career?
At Georgia Tech, where I got my MBA, a career counselor asked, ‘What do you want to do?’ I said, ‘I want to run a nonprofit.’ He was dead silent! He suggested doing that outside of work, but Booz Allen has allowed me to do both. For our 500-person Atlanta office, I select nonprofits, allocate funds and organize volunteer events. We volunteer at Special Olympics Georgia’s summer games, support an employee’s backpack drive and recently made PB&Js for about 400 people through The Sandwich Project. It’s about finding where our employees’ passions are and supporting them.
What did becoming a mother teach you about yourself?
Going from Miss United States to being married and then becoming a mom was a mental shift. My daughter didn’t sleep for the first 13 months. I was up five times a night, thinking, ‘I don’t know if the toughest Marine could do this job right now.’ It took me about two years to fully step into that role, embrace who I was and redefine myself. I went back to friends and asked, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ No one tells you the real story.
Is there a moment that stays with you as a reminder of why giving back matters?
Through pageants, I found an organization that brought titleholders into children’s hospitals with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. I still have a pillowcase featuring three Disney princesses that a child gave me. She passed away, and that was one of the last things she did. Now, as a mother, looking back on that moment, I get emotional. To sit at that table with her, help her smile and just be a kid was so meaningful. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
How are you teaching your daughter to give back?
Since Jameson was four, we’ve had a neighborhood lemonade stand every year. She keeps half the profits and chooses a charity for the other half. She’s an animal lover, so she’s chosen Mostly Mutts and Good Mews. It’s one thing to do it yourself; it’s another to teach the next generation. Watching her understand service has been my greatest joy. When I’m no longer here, that’s what I want her to live out.
“Through every stage of her life, Erin has found new ways to give her time and her heart to others.” —Kim Vaughn, Over 40 Alum
