March 2014 Profile: Robin McLean

Staff reports

True Passion: Teaching and mentoring kids.

Hidden Talent: Robin is able to draw well and loves to doodle. “I had my own ‘magazine’ when I was a little girl called Doodlebugs, which was also my nickname, because I was always doodling.”

Biggest Indulgence: A great spa day.

Happiest Time in Her Life: Birth of her son Gregory Shane Moore.

Support Network: Her church family, Calvary Presbyterian Church, Minister Patricia Bacon, Asheville, NC.

Favorite Authors for Motivation and Spirituality: Maya Angelou, Barack Obama, Shelia Walsh, Max Lucado.

Tenets of Life: Giving back to the community, being humble, and seeing a project through!

Cultivating a Life of Growth

Just as the daffodils stretch from winter’s chilly soil, and spring eagerly prepares to announce her new arrival, so does a new resident to the city of Asheville. Robin McLean landed here three months ago, taking the position of Manager for Non-Invasive Cardiology at Mission Healthcare here in Asheville.

She had already established herself in the field of Cardiology, but had had to take a hiatus from her career to care for her ailing mother. After her mother’s death, Robin found Asheville a perfect fit for a return to Cardiology—with a new outlook and exciting lifestyle. Robin and her husband Randall are looking forward to settling into the region and experiencing all that the mountains have to offer.

It is apparent from Robin’s tall, slender, athletic build that she is not one to sit idly by in the prime of her life. She bicycles 20-25 miles per week, hits the links with her 25 handicap, and also plays tennis. Back in her college days in North Carolina, she played for her school’s basketball team. Athletics and tenacity run in her family.

Her experience spans more than thirty years and includes management of large cardiology departments, pharmaceutical sales, and cardiovascular education. She understands that being healthy and knowing how to be a team player makes for a great foundation for maneuvering in the healthcare world. She has used her experiences and education to work with such established organizations as the Association of Black Cardiologists, The Living Heart Foundation, and Cardiovascular Concepts to launch new educational and cardiac screening programs.

Robin’s drive, persistence, and sense of direction began when she was a young girl. Her pastor called her the Pied Piper because she loved helping and teaching the neighborhood kids. At the age of twelve she was especially influenced and empowered by Maya Angelou’s poems, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “Still I Rise.”

“Her poetry was instrumental in helping to form a lot of my thoughts—my psyche,” explains Robin. “Her poems speak of people’s stumbles and their trials and tribulations, but ‘still I rise’.”

An avid reader, she focuses on positive and motivational reading. Her mindset has carried her far in her life and as the French scientist Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” Becoming a motivational speaker is a goal Robin has as “an overall life topper.”

“I want to look at all of my accomplishments and, eventually, when I get to that ripe old age of settling down, I’d like to get on the speaker circuit to talk about health and wellness. I want to speak about things such as finding that healthy balance. Knowing that when one finds a closed window it doesn’t mean it’s closed forever, because eventually another will open for you—don’t get frustrated.” She’s also looking forward to sharing her skills by working as a community advocate by providing education through wellness programs throughout the region.

A very compassionate woman, she likes to plant seeds and help them grow. Through her community involvement, she hopes to mentor young children, primarily to help them become more involved with health and wellness initiatives by connecting with the schools and working to establish a volunteer program.

Robin loves the ambience of Asheville and wants to contribute to its beauty. As she works to provide knowledge to the surrounding areas with her brand of passionate cultivation, she also shows she can name the sky her own.