Member Spotlight: Danielle Kuznetsov

by Cindy Knight

Q: What brought you to Moscow? When? How long have you been living here?

A: We have lived in Moscow for a bit over 12 years in total. My husband, Alex, brought us to Moscow for work. We have lived in Perm, Russia for 3 years, and then in Moscow on 2 separate assignments, each lasting more than 5 years. I met Alex in Moscow in 1990 when I came for a 6 week summer course in Russian. We fell in LUST!

Q: Tell me about yourself! Career, hobbies?

A: After university, and marrying my husband, we decided to put all the "eggs into my husband's basket". Within a few years, Alex got his MBA and a connection was made where Alex was offered a position at a company creating a joint venture in Russia. We had two children by this time when we moved to Perm. My role was to raise my kids and serve in the community. There I learned to understand and speak Russian. In Perm, we adopted twin orphans. From that time on, my career was the home education of my kids and the rehabilitation of our son. We have been fortunate that Alex has had this Russian niche and it has supported our family well while I have done the work with our children.

Q: When did you become a member of the AWO? How did you hear about us?

A: Three years ago, realizing my kids were grown, it was time to develop ME. I signed up for courses to become a life coach and worked on the charity board of one of the women's organizations in Moscow. I met Michele Kuhlen who encouraged me to join AWO and work on our charity program.

A: I had heard about AWO before this time, but the idea of joining a women's social organization did not appeal to me. I had plenty of friends, a full time job with my kids, and spoke Russian so I didn't feel displaced in Moscow at all. That being said, AWO has won me over and I have often thought, "I should have joined earlier." As I reflect back over the two years I have been with AWO, I have to say the community, the activities, and the opportunity to make a difference in the world have filled me up in the most unexpected ways. This last year has been the BYOML (best year of my life) in terms of working collaboratively, being unified in purpose, and building friendships. I believe that AWO has something to offer to everyone.

Q: How have you contributed to the AWO?

A: My agenda from the beginning has been to gain more than just coffee twice a month. I wanted to create projects with other women. I wanted to learn from women and have their smarts rub off on me. I wanted to perfect my coaching skills and share them to see how effective they were. I also wanted to serve the local community in a deep way. This was completely selfish on my part and I have gotten EVERYTHING I WANTED and MORE from this experience. My hope is that I have given my peers, the club, and the community much more than I took. I am the Spread Sunshine Coordinator, the FAWCO Representative, and this year the Vice President.

Q: If you had five minutes with a person, how would you convince them to join the AWO of Moscow?

A: AWO is a women's group that welcomes, enjoys, and invests in their women members. The unstated AWO mission, in my experience, has been to serve the North American and international women in Moscow by creating a warm and friendly atmosphere to come and BE,

by connecting women to better know Russia and experience their time in here, and by providing an opportunity for women to actively use their professional and personal gifts and talents on a corporate level. AWO is a BIG WIN for both personally and professionally.