We share the second floor with the Massachusetts Tobacco QuitWorks, a hotline for people who are interested in quitting smoking (awesome!). Boston Partners is a small organization of 12 full time staff, 3 AmeriCorps volunteers, and about a dozen part-time staff.
When you start at Boston Partners, individual informational interviews with all staff members is highly encouraged. It's a great way to meet and introduce yourself as well as learning a bit more about everyone, their backgrounds, what they do at the office, and how their work is closely related to your work. Plus you won't have to feel as awkward on your first few days.
So fresh and so clean clean. Look at how nice we all are!
Key Players
- Pamela Civins - Executive Director. She loves the Boston Red Sox and has been all around the world.
- Judy Harrington - Director of Development. She mainly handles fundraising and the budget, she's got the money and a great sense of humor.
- Erin McGrath - Program Director. Erin is in charge of our main programs, and my supervisor for the year. Erin has a wicked sense of humor and a great blog about food and barware.
- Jim Laudisio - Operations Manager. He handles grants, funding reports, reimbursements, and lots of financial things- likes to talk about Snookie and comics. Jim is a bit shy, but he's really funny.
- Barbara Harris - Director of Placements. She is in charge of volunteer placements and has been at Boston Partners the longest out of the staff. Barbara knows a lot about everything but doesn't like chicken.
Everyone else is super important and amazing too, but the people above are the people who make big decisions.
- Jessica Baker - Development Associate. Jess is super awesome & friendly, doubles as a bartender and she's got design skillz too.
- Wendy Beninati - Math Rules! Program Manager. The sweetest woman on earth. Wendy and I worked very closely this year and she'll mother you. Don't fight it.
- Eneida Bonilla - Placement Associate. A part time mom of three (you'll hear stories) with a knack for making us laugh in the office.
- Hillary Chazen - Recruitment & School Volunteer Program Manager. Hillary is a breath of fresh air, fiesty and funny. She likes to speak in French from time to time.
- Faye Pantazopoulos - Communications Manager. Faye is somewhat quiet, but she loves fashion and will order any office supplies you need.
- Marc Saunders - Training Manager. Marc is a dad, always looks and dresses super nicely. Also, don't mess with him, he teaches Jujitsu and rides his motorcycle in the area.
- Karen Tefft - Director of Special Projects. A resident of the North End, Karen LOVES food, especially Chinatown restaurants and bakeries. She's got the hookup for good places to eat.
- Karleigh Rose Pettit - Power Lunch Manager. A newer addition to Boston Partners, Karleigh Rose seems like a very nice person.
- Kelly Strauch - IT Coordinator, AmeriCorps VISTA. A Montana native, Kelly ran in the Boston Marathon this past year (along with a few other office colleagues) and works tirelessly on our new database.
- Miki Leach - TBD, AmeriCorps VISTA. From Maine, Miki is staying on a second year with Boston Partners in Education. Ask her about soccer players and she'll open up, but don't talk about spiders near her.
- TBD - Social Media Outreach Coordinator AmeriCorps Ambassador of Mentoring
We also know how to get a little dirty too :)
Boston Partners in Education is small enough to feel like a family (you'll get a really good sense of that during staff meetings) where people chat about their lives often and laugh even more. I sometimes wished we had a sitcom called The Office of us, but maybe it's better that we didn't. It's also small enough that you will discover some office politics. Nothing too serious, but expect awkward pauses and tension from time to time. In general, everyone is very friendly and dedicated to supporting students through Boston Partners' work. We worked pretty well as a team for special events, volunteer days, and during staff meetings. Be sure to ask about the Marathon Team of 2010.
I will miss them all terribly next year. Boston Partners was a great family to be a part of. Don't miss out on opportunities to chat with everyone!
