An inspirational story prompt came to my attention in a recent work email: "Also one day I would love to talk to you about your job title. I’m an EA but also our resident nerd!"
Current job title: Information Systems Officer / Executive Assistant
To write this story, I feel like I'd need to go back to high school, when "grownups" with the best of intentions were doing their best to guide me - and as I write that sentence, I realize once again, the source of both the inspiration, and the story. The who has been guiding my life. Always. God. Not because it's been "smooth sailing" (different story for a different time), but because things have unfolded in ways I could not have imagine and the result of anything I could have done. And so, it is with great Humility that I admit with all my heart: to God be the glory.
Technical college degree in data processing in 1981 served me well for the 15 years I spent as a computer programmer then project manager and finally group manger before I became a stay-at-home mom. Oh the places and the faces... God, was it all clearly mapped out, or did I wiggle about with my own priorities? During those 15 years as a defense contractor, supervisors and proposal writers had an increasingly difficult time with desparity between the work I was doing and my AS degree in "Data Processing" and convinced me to at least be taking classes towards an engineering degree (electrical or computer), and so, I did, for years, one at a time, this dragged on for years and was very stressful. I disliked it so much, and while the money was good, and promised to get better, I knew it "wasn't me," and my "coping skills" were ruining my life. (Again, another story for another time).
While enrolled at a college known for its engineering programs, I had a "break through" in my spiritual life" and changed my major to Human Services Counseling, asked God, if it be his will, that I become a Mom. His answer was swift and at age 35, we (both mu ex-hasband and I) left the defense industry and moved from Virginia to North Carolina. Full-time, stay-at-home for 6 years and kept thinking about (and being nudged by my ex) to finish my degree. I was so close when we moved, an intership and a semester to go, but of the colleges I visited, only Meredith College would do. Thank you, God.
note: many more photos in my blog posts 2008-2018
At the time, it seemed unfortunate that only about half of my credit hours be accepted. But! when I look back, and am still paying for all those Meredith classes, I am so very grateful for everything it took to finally walk across that stage with a degree in English, December 2006, with my Mom having made the trip down from Connecticut, and my 10 year old taking the best picture. I'd "found" a job in the library Media Services Department as a student worker the summer before, and wrote a proposal for a full-time position there as one of my very last papers for my degree. It would take another 18months, and a second part-time job, but I did eventually become Media Services Assistant and... here's where the"/" and the twist comes in. To make it work, the Dean had me split my time with helping her assistant, Gerry, manage the her office, and the entire library. Again, God's presence carried us all through when Gerry, in 2008 had a heart attack and quadruple by-pass surgery, and because of the time I'd already spent working with her, amd God's help, I could step in, and step up to the plate, so to speak.
Unfortunately, I continued to struggle financial and spiritually. In hindsight, had I flipped those two priorities, I now believe that trajactory of my life may not have been all that different, but certainly not nearly the struggle to be "in control" :)
2013-2018 short version: Shifted over to the building next to the library and was departmental assistant for four departments' heads - (one of whom has a birthday today) and then back to the library again when the opening came available to be the Dean's assistant (whose birthday is also today (Oct 14)
In 2016, when my Dad passed, I began having a "crisis" that lasted for 2 years before I realized God was nudging me back to CT. I've written about that in at least a couple of other post and will add those links here later. In short, God not only provided the impetus, but the means as well. Great friends and mentors, sparks of inspiration about where and how to look and then, it happened. I applied for one position at Conn College, a "safe" bet they were slow to respond so I dug deeper into the description of the position and noticed one aspect was coordinating community outreach with a non-profit called F.R.E.S.H. (Food: Resources, Education, Security, Health). Their mission (and logo - click on it for more info) 
grabbed my attention. Intrigued, I dug deeper. The Community Foundation of Eastern CT is on their website as a funder/partner. That website had exactly ONE job posting, and I was meant to find it. I applied, was called, interviewed with Janet and Pam via Facetime, if you can believe it, followed a couple of weeks later with another Facetime with Maryam, our President and CEO.
November 5, 2018 I began as the Administrative Assistant, primarily for Maryam, but also for our team, board members, donors, students, and our non-profit grantees. I've included all of those here, because that position is also receptionist in the fullest sense of the word. The position included many aspects of financial assistant work, so when Kathy left CFECT in February of 2020, I jumped at the chance to do more of that work and we hired an executive Assistant for Maryam. When the entire world changed, in March of 2020, and everyone began adapting to working from home, that job because quite different, and our new hire had a tough time getting the nuances of their role. Suddenly it was all about zoom meetings and keeping up with the onstant changes. My role as Finance Assistant was the one job that really needed to be done in the office,because it involves handling of checks, as well as depositing, copying, scanning, and getting mail from post office. The CEO's admin came back into the office to help, but it was challenging for her. She is a wonderful person, but was in a tough situation.
As a result, everything shifted again in July of this year (2021). Job descriptions rewritten and combined the best bits of the two job descriptions, as well as outliner tasks that make doing more challenging. The result was an office admin position (Filled as of 10/18/21 yay!), and my new title: Information Systems Officer / Executive Assistant.
It is quite the job description, but I'm always up for a challenge and will give it my all... Have I learned nothing? Always. Infinitely. Better. When I turn it all over to God, it might look something like this and that's okay!
p. 271
Hey God. Hey John. by John Roedel
FYI - Turning it all over to God is one of the reasons I do cartwheels. Here's the link to that post: https://lunawings.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-abcs-of-why-i-do-cartwheels-july.html
a thank you for sunrises and sunsets :)
2019 cover
2019 cover
