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Community Team Member, Karen Arreola sits down with DD’s leaders and talks: being a force for good, contributing to a movement, and their next steps in the industry.
Karen: Describe yourself in 6 words or less. Jemimah: How about three? Creative, curious, loyal. Karen: Coffee or tea? Jemimah: Tea. K: What are you obsessed with at the moment? J: I’m forever obsessed with strength and fitness. K: What's your history with DD? J: I started out as a Field Support Manager supporting the field teams and managing special projects before I transitioned to being an Operations Coordinator.
K: What places has DD led you to visit?
J: Beginning in 2012, my work in these roles has taken me to places all over the US: including DC, Chicago, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco and more. K: What led you to take your previous role at Diálogo Latinoamérica? J: I was not fluent in Spanish prior to this, so the opportunity itself and the chance to practice a new language was really appealing to me. This has definitely broadened my understanding and appreciation of Mexican culture and business.
K: What are you going to miss most about Mexico?
J: I’m going to miss being with our Mexico teams more regularly! And of course… the food! I love our DDLATAM (Diálogo Latinoamérica) team, and will continue to be involved with them. 🇲🇽 K: What’s a book that positively shaped you? J: Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It was one of the factors that revolutionized the way I approached women’s empowerment in development work. From a communication perspective, I more fully understood the power of storytelling when connecting with donors.
K: Why a career in f2f fundraising? J: Our fundraising team! The relationships – there aren't many careers that connect you with such a diverse group of like-minded people. K: What are you looking forward to most within your new role as Director of Opportunity? J: It’s amazing that we’ve always hired people and given them growth opportunities regardless of personal background and experience. I want to continue in that same spirit. I look forward to growing our business innovation and technology initiatives by centering our approach in empathy. I’m convinced that this is the key to growing businesses centered on human-value – to really step into the stories and experiences of team members and the people served by our charity partners. K: Last Question: if you weren’t in fundraising where would you be? J: I'd probably be pursuing something in STEM as per my educational background. 👩🏻🔬
Stay tuned for more interviews in this series: Behind the Movement