New Kid in the Office
When I held the crown of “New Kid in the Office” back in summer of 2017, there were only four other full-time people working here at the North American office. Missy, Michelle, Monica, and Regina seemed to juggle communications, fundraising, administrative tasks, donation processing, program management, grant management and more. When I started, everyone was thrilled to be able to have an extra set of hands and redistribute some of the pile of work we had to do. I quickly became part of the team, just as busy as everyone else, and have watched our office and our programs continue to grow.
Fast forward two years and I have officially handed over my “new kid” crown! Meet the newest new kid, Stephen! Stephen joined us in July as our newest Program Assistant and we are so thrilled to add him to the team. If you email or give our office a call, he will be the one that you talk to as he is in charge of our donor database and supporter management!
So we all could get to know him better, I sat down with him and asked him a few questions...
‘What is your background?’ - Originally I went to school to be a sports journalist but one summer, I picked up a science magazine and learned about scientists genetically modifying plants so they can absorb more CO2. That blew my mind and from there, I changed my major to environmental science. Before coming to WDC, most of my experience was in outdoor education and water quality sampling/analysis.
‘Where are you originally from?’ - I grew in Atlanta but my first job out of college was in Nantucket which brought me to Massachusetts.
‘What intrigued you about working at WDC?’ - After learning more about WDC and reading about its mission, I like having the opportunity to make a tangible difference and be a part of the bigger effort. I am excited to bring what I can!
‘The coolest thing about whales are…’ The fact that the closest relative to a whale is a hippopotamus. Well that and how it’s incredible that we are living in the time where the largest animal is also living. Upon seeing them more recently, I realized they can really be calm and chill.
‘Favorite go-to snack’ - cheese and crackers
‘Best tv series to binge watch on a rainy day’ - The Office
Having Stephen join us in our whale-loving family or “whamily” means so much. Not only are we able to focus on our specific roles better, but it also means that our office is changing and growing. Stephen has added new knowledge of rocks, minerals, and chess strategies to our office while also being a calm, flexible presence. He adds a bit of his great personality to each interaction he has with donors and supporters! By adding a new staff member, we can take one step closer to the pie-in-the-sky ideas and work towards making them a reality. Big things are happening and it would not be possible without the help from all our donors and supporters who believe in our work and our team. So here’s to passing over the crown to the next with beautiful opportunities that lay ahead for WDC.
