Interview with Kristina Fisher of Think New Mexico

Kristina G. Fisher

Kristina is the recipient of the 2011 YNPN Young Nonprofit Professional of the Year award, presented at National Philanthropy Day on November 18. Congratulations, Kristina!

Title – Associate Director

Organization/Agency – Think New Mexico

Hometown – Santa Fe, NM

Education – University of New Mexico School of Law, JD

Why did you pick the cause you’re currently a part of?  When did you know you wanted to do this work? I first became interested in working in public policy when I participated in Model United Nations back in high school. That experience got me hooked on developing and advocating for policy proposals, and I really liked the idea of using policy to achieve long-term, systemic change. During my junior year of college, I was lucky enough to be hired as one of Think New Mexico’s very first student interns, and I’ve been a part of the organization ever since.

What inspires you about your work?  One of the most inspiring aspects of my work is the way it brings together individuals and organizations with radically different perspectives to collectively develop policy solutions that move the state forward. For example, when we were working on Think New Mexico’s Strategic Water Reserve initiative, we spent many hours meeting with representatives of agriculture, business, environmental groups, irrigation districts, and local governments, and at the end of the process, we were able to develop a piece of legislation that all of these different interest groups supported – and that significantly improved water management in New Mexico. Especially in these politically polarized times, Think New
Mexico’s work to build solutions that bridge the partisan divide gives me
a lot of hope.

What impact does your non-profit have in the community?  Think New Mexico develops and advocates for public policy reforms that improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans. To date, our efforts have resulted in the passage of landmark laws making full-day kindergarten accessible to every child in the state, repealing New Mexico’s regressive food tax, creating a Strategic Water Reserve to protect and restore the state’s rivers, establishing New Mexico’s first state-supported Individual Development Accounts, redirecting millions of dollars a year out of the state lottery’s high operating costs and into full-tuition college scholarships, and reforming title insurance to lower closing costs for homebuyers and homeowners who refinance their mortgages.

Why do you feel it’s important for young people to work in social profit professions?  Young people bring a fresh perspective and wonderful energy to this work.  They push organizations to think in new ways (and help keep them up to date with the latest technology!). It’s also really important to train and mentor young people in this work so that they are prepared to step into leadership roles as older generations retire.

How do you avoid burn-out and where do you get support?  I spend time outdoors hiking, camping, and working on projects that are very different from the cerebral policy work I do at Think New Mexico. One of my favorite ways to recharge and reenergize myself is to participate in hands-on ecological restoration service projects with organizations like the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation and the Quivira Coalition.

Please share a memorable story that sticks out in your mind about work you have done for a nonprofit.  My very first project as an intern at Think New Mexico was to call every elementary school principal in the state and determine whether they needed any additional classrooms for full-day kindergarten (since many schools had been splitting a single classroom between two half-day kindergarten classes). Think New Mexico had just won passage of a law phasing in full-day kindergarten over five years, but no one knew how many additional classrooms would be needed, or which schools needed them. As a result, the cost estimates were all over the map, some as high as $40 million. Based on my research, we determined that it would cost only about $15 million to provide every school in the state with the classroom resources they needed for full-day kindergarten, and Think New Mexico successfully advocated for legislation that provided that funding to the schools.

Kristina is pictured above with Cina Littlebird (seated), a Think New Mexico student intern; and working outdoors on an ecological restoration service project with the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation.

Interview with Sarah Newman

Sarah R. Newman

Sarah is the newest member of the YNPN Board. Congratulations, Sarah! To learn more about our Board, click here.

Title – Manager

Organization/Agency – New Mexico Collaboration to End Hunger

Hometown – Albuquerque, NM

Education – Bachelor of Science in Retail and Consumer Sciences, University of Arizona

Why did you choose to work in the nonprofit field?  I have always been interested in directly effecting change. I enjoy helping people overcome the challenges they face and find viable solutions.  Most of  all I love being able to make someone smile.

Why did you pick the cause you are currently a part of? When did you know you wanted to do this work?  I grew up in Albuquerque, and could never understand the disparity in opportunity between my classmates and, really, all the young people in the state.  I now have the chance to make an impact and help create opportunities for people to change their lives.

What inspires you about your work? The smile on a child’s face when they have food in their bellies, or the appreciation of a parent who can take a break from worrying about how they’re going to provide the most basic needs for their families.

What impact does your nonprofit have in the community?  The New Mexico Collaboration works with 80+ organizations across the state that strive to end hunger in various ways, from protecting rights to increasing production of local growers to helping more children receive breakfast and lunch in schools.  We are everywhere and, through our partnerships, are able to make a huge difference throughout the state.  To a hungry individual, every little problem seems much greater.  Our service is basic, but so important and critical to everything else.

What is your favorite part of our community? In New Mexico there are only 4 degrees of separation between people.  In Albuquerque, it’s 2 degrees.  This closely-tied community provides a wonderful environment for creativity and movements to grow.

Interview with Arika Sanchez

Arika Sanchez

Title - Project Specialist

Organization/Agency – Center for Nonprofit Excellence, United Way of Central New Mexico

Hometown- Albuquerque, NM

Education- JD, New York Law School; MPA, University of New Mexico, expected May 2012; BBA in Accounting, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Why did you choose to work in the non-profit field?

It was somewhat of a journey.  My undergraduate degree is in accounting because I enjoy working with numbers, but by my final semester, the business school’s emphasis on the bottom line was wearing on me.  I began to realize that working in such an environment wouldn’t make me happy and that I wanted to focus my time on helping people and making a difference in the community.  After graduation I began volunteering for various nonprofits to see what was out there.

Why did you pick the cause you are currently a part of? When did you know you wanted to do this work?

There are so many issues and organizations that are incredibly important and that I’m interested in.  The more I learn, the broader my interests grow.  I was in the process of trying to hone in my interests when I found the Center for Nonprofit Excellence.  The great thing about working for the Center is I don’t have to choose one cause – the Center aims to provide support to all nonprofits in central New Mexico.  I feel by building the capacity of these organizations, we are having an impact on a wide range of issue areas.

What inspires you about your work?

I’ve begun to realize that one of the most inspiring things about the nonprofit sector is the people who work in it.  I’ve worked and volunteered for at least ten nonprofits and have recently gone on tours of a number of agencies funded by the United Way of Central New Mexico, and I’m constantly amazed and inspired by the staff and volunteers’ commitment to and enthusiasm for their causes and organizations.

Interview with Laura Valdo

Laura Valdo

Laura is the newest member of the YNPN Board. Congratulations, Laura! To learn more about our Board, click here.

Title – Director of Development and Civic Engagement

Organization/Agency – Citizen Schools

Hometown – Phoenix, Arizona

Education – Arizona State University, BA in Justice and Social Inquiry

Why did you choose to work in the nonprofit field?  I often say that it chose me. In my early career days I struggled with not feeling a part of something larger, or feeling that the work I was doing day to day was lacking something. I began volunteering with an organization and fell in love with fundraising and development. I had always been good at building relationships and selling things, but suddenly I was selling something I truly believed in. Soon after, a development position opened with that agency, and I never looked back.

Why did you pick the cause you are currently a part of? When did you know you wanted to do this work?  I knew early on that my passions lay with the notion of “leveling the playing field” for everyone. I wanted to give a voice to those who didn’t have one loud enough to be heard. Even as a young child, injustice or inequality was very upsetting for me. I wanted everyone to be given the same opportunities in education, community engagement, and employment. My work has taken me through all of those areas. I currently work to close the achievement gap for students in low-income communities and it is a cause I am deeply passionate about.

What impact does your non-profit have in the community?  I think education is at the root of so many issues – homelessness, domestic violence, poverty, recidivism. It is my belief if the work I do is able to impact the vocational and financial future of our most vulnerable populations, we will indeed see large scale change.

Why do you feel it’s important for young people to work in social profit professions?  I think the younger generation has experienced many social challenges in their lifetime and has been vocal about their dissatisfaction of it. Working in social profit is one direct way of doing something about the current world’s challenges. Additionally, young people have different and unique views and perspectives that will lend themselves to the ever-changing nonprofit world.

How do you avoid burn-out and where do you get support?  I think burn-out is completely avoidable if one learns how to limit themselves. I work hard, but I also reward myself accordingly. I am a big believer in the idea of rejuvenation and relaxation leading to success.

Please share a memorable story that sticks out in your mind about work you have done for a nonprofit.  In Arizona I ran an organization that worked with teenage girls to identify and address social issues in their community. One of the first participants in the program was a then 14-year-old refugee from Burundi who had recently moved with her family from a war torn community. In 4 years I was able to see her go from speaking little English, being so shy she barely raised her eyes, and having no goals beyond avoiding teenage pregnancy like many of her family members to graduating top of her class and speaking at her high school graduation. She is now 21 years old and graduating college with a degree in psychology, and hopes to work with teens in inner cities once she completes her master’s degree. I hear from her often in emails and photos, and she is a true inspiration to me.

Interview with Melanie Madrid

Melanie Madrid

Title - Youth Director

Organization/Agency – YWCA Middle Rio Grande

Hometown- Albuquerque, NM

Education- Bachelor of Science in Social Work

Why did you choose to work in the non-profit field?

I have always been interested in learning about and helping people. In college I gravitated towards social science classes because I loved learning about the challenges people face and the prospective solutions.

Why did you pick the cause you are currently a part of? When did you know you
wanted to do this work?

I currently run a program called TechGYRLS. The mission is to inspire young ladies into careers of science, technology, engineering and math because women are under-represented in those fields. This is problematic because these are high paid professions and is one of the reasons women are still earning .77 cents to every man’s dollar. This work is very important to me because I wanted to be a botanist at one point and struggled to get through the calculus. That’s when I decided I wanted to help girls at an early age so they didn’t get behind in technical subjects like I had.

What inspires you about your work?

The girls! They are so smart and have such wonderful aspirations. I love it when I receive thank you letters from them or they tell me that they want to be an engineer or scientist. It makes all of the hard work worth it.

What impact does your non-profit have in the community?

The program I run-TechGYRLS has served over 300 girls in the last year. Most of our girls come from low income families. We offer sessions for free in several Title I schools in Albuquerque.

How do you avoid burn-out and where do you get support?

I take lots of vacations! Luckily the YWCA offers a great vacation package that I take advantage of. I also keep a binder with all of my achievements and thank you letters – whenever I am having a bad day I flip through it and I feel much better! I rely on support from volunteers and interns; without them I would most definitely be over worked.

Who would you consider a mentor and how did s/he help you? Who have you connected with in the past that has been a wonderful partner/resource?

My biggest mentor is my boss, Carolyn Margolies. She has given me every tool I need to make sure I do the best I can. She has given me the opportunity in this position and has taught me so much. I look up to her and am very lucky that she has taken me under her wing.

What is your favorite part of our community?

I love how close knit Albuquerque is! We all support each other and many non-profits work together. I think the size is small enough to accomplish that, but large enough to bring resources to all of our causes. I think we are very unique in that way. I love how many friends I’ve made in this line of work and how I often run into people I know.

Please share a memorable story that sticks out in your mind about work you have done for a non-profit.

My most memorable stories come from experiences I’ve had with the TechGYRLS at camp. It is so neat to pair technology and the wilderness. Believe it or not—many of our girls come from the South Valley and have never been to the East Mountains! It is so wonderful to provide that opportunity for them. Last year, we were all taking a break
(from engineering and programming robots) and the girls were all scattered throughout the site. Calmly a young lady says to me “ummmmm, there is a bear standing over there……” and because of her calm demeanor and monotone voice, I didn’t believe her! I went on eating my lunch when low and behold their WAS a bear about 60 feet from where I was standing. I would like to say that I calmly told all of the girls to head inside—but as they reminded me this year, I totally freaked and yelled “BEAR!!! BEAR!!!! Everyone get inside!!” Once we were all safe in the locked cabin it was very cool to watch him drink from a hummingbird feeder from the window.