WEEK 5 - THURSDAY, APRIL 29
brandi johnson | sage • CAring • giving • honest • amazing • hilarious
What are some of the amazing things that Brandi has done?
Brandi shared some really special details about her childhood and her biological and chosen family, it was really beautiful and inspiring.
Brandi led an amazing presentation during the March Educator Series on the Power of Play and it was very useful!
Brandi has provided support to people affected by COVID-19, teaching people to serve the community through social work, showing compassion when others are processing difficult matters, and offering humor to make others smile.
Brandi is an essential worker who spent a year on the frontlines of the COVID-19 epidemic, no matter what impact it could have on her mental and emotional well-being. Now we've come to see that Brandi's strong work ethic, compassionate heart, brave vulnerability, giving soul and ability to light up a room is also essential to IWES, as well.
How has Brandi supported you and your team?
Brandi's Power of Play workshop made my classrooms more fun and engaging in a difficult time. Thank you Brandi!
Brandi has jumped into a wide variety of activities and taken on projects for different teams, she shows she is willing to learn new things and be a team player.
Brandi selflessly gave of herself and her health to the people of New Orleans in so many ways throughout the pandemic, and now she's translated that energy into supporting programs in any way they need. Brandi is a model human!
What makes Brandi a great leader?
In the short time she has been with IWES, Brandi has graciously invested so much time, attention and HEART into her collaborating projects, re-energizing them with her sincerity.
A professor, a social worker, a manager, what can't she do!
Brandi is not afraid to be vulnerable. She's not afraid to express where she is and how she's feeling honestly and openly and she inspires me to live in my truth at all moments.
She shows her caring and celebrates people who give generously in their community
Anything else?
She's in a song on Spotify that she recorded when she was a teenager, y'all! How cool is that?!
I can always look to Brandi for the clever joke or astute observation in the chat. Brandi cracks me up!
gabrielle freels | persistent • OG • Giving • dependable • vibrant • mama • a force!
What are some of the amazing things that Gabby has done?
I know that Gabby continued being an unflinching presence for her family and community.
Gabby has a way of adapting to her environment and then helping others ease into theirs. That's a special gift.
When we think about doing for others we often neglect ourselves. Gabby is a selfless person so I have been really impressed that she has taken the time during the pandemic to take care of herself. Mothers often give from an empty cup but now Gabby can continue to give as she always did but now her cup is full.
Even through getting sick herself, Gabby has continued to create relationships with partners and provide irreplaceable organizational knowledge to keep us all working well.
How has Gabby supported you and your team?
Gabby is SOOOOOO New Orleans! I love that the culture lives in everything she does. Her New Orleans spirit shines through Zoom!
Gabby is always able to answer questions and problem solve -- no matter how tough. It shows her strength!
Gabby is the soul of our team. There is no mountain high or valley low that we can't take under her guidance. She responds to chaos with comfort and fatigue with fire. She puts the bounce in our steps!
I've always appreciated how Gabs continues to be present and proactive, and keeps it positive and moving forward even amid challenging and unexpected circumstances.
We can always count on Gabby to give it to us straight. She always has an encouraging word when we need it and always reminds us that we're doing our best.
She has been a compassionate ear to our schools. She keeps us updated constantly and really is the boots on the ground for many of IWES' projects.
What makes Gabby a great leader?
She leads by example! She doesn't talk about what needs to be done....she does it! What a great asset to the team, organization and community.
Gabby is resilient and strong! She is able to take on any task thrown at her -- no matter what the situation is.
Gabby has such an incredible relationship with our community and school partners. She plays a major role in maintaining partnerships and assuring our positive youth development programing and reach.
Anything else?
The only thing that keeps us running!
I feel blessed to not only call Gabby my colleague, but also my friend! She's a great person to have in your corner.
mia groedel | brave • calming • open • growth-oriented
What are some of the amazing things that Mia has done?
She willingly shares her experiences with her coworkers, but also listens with a gentle ear.
I've never heard Mia say no or have an attitude about anything. She's always open, willing and eager.
Mia shows a passion for being of service and growing personally and professionally.
Mia shares insightful photos during Photovoice that are really interesting and help us get to know her and the depth of her soul!
How has Mia supported you and your team?
Mia is always ready with a meditation to get us into the right headspace to confront the day and it's really appreciated.
She is always engaged and shows she values thoughtful reflection as part of her learning process.
Even though Mia isn't on staff full time, her presence is always felt because she's always so present and engaged during meetings and her innate beauty, humor and charm shines through in her statements, and the chat!
What makes Mia a great leader?
She is kind, outspoken and knowledgeable. Her level of intentional empathy will make her an incredible social worker.
She is willing to be vulnerable, she thinks deeply about others, and talks about how she can make a positive contribution in world.
Anything else?
Her presentation on body image and accepting the body was well put together and insightful!
I appreciate her willingness to take on impromptu tasks, like leading group meditations, without hesitation.
Mia's dog is always a welcome addition to any Zoom!
leticia de los rios | kindness • steadiness • kind • meticulous • leader • happy
What are some of the amazing things that Leticia has done?
Since joining IWES, during the pandemic, every space Leticia has entered has become instantly more calm and measured. She moves and communicates with a quiet confidence that says, "this is how things are supposed to be" in a year that has screamed anything but.
I applaud Leticia for entering IWES during the pandemic. I can't imagine how hard it is to connect with a 30+ team that you've never met in person!
How has Leticia supported you and your team?
She is always readily available for help and support for any project we work on together.
When her director was out on vacation, she coordinated team meetings to accomplish time-sensitive tasks as they arose. This enabled the team to have the requested documents ready to review and submit when her director returned.
What makes Leticia a great leader?
Her attention to detail and care for clients is impeccable. She definitely puts the needs of the clients first and approaches each client with compassion.
I greatly appreciate Leticia's calming and insightful presence. She brings a great deal of knowledge and care into all that she does.
She is always willing to pitch-in and help the team to serve the community - even if it's not in her job description. When stressful situations happened, she never lost her joy for the work. She viewed the situation as a learning experience & used what she learned to strengthen our outreach efforts.
Anything else?
She’s so kind!
Leticia has such a lovely calming energy that you can feel even through your computer screen! A key quality in confusing times!
While I haven't had the chance to work with Leticia closely, I can tell from all her updates that she is really dedicated to serving the community. I can see the way she lights up when talking about the work she does with HTP. Her energy and passion for her work is palpable, even over Zoom!
We had a meeting to go through outreach strategies where we applied some techniques we learned in a recent training. When she had an "ah-ha" moment, she thanked me profusely for the support and made ME feel like the MVP when she was the one who had done all the work!
I love getting to know more about Leticia through her stories of her family and her background, every time she talks about her heritage I feel as though I learn more about her and the world in general.
Leticia is an amazing team member and friend. She is a wonderful addition to the work within our team. Leticia loves the community and interacting with supporters of IWES. She is generous and attentive to the emotional and mental needs of others. I'm grateful to have her as a team member.
Priya Lewis | prepared • thoughtful • effusive • determined
What are some of the amazing things that Priya has done?
She led a massive project during the pandemic and was prepared every step of the way to build it into something sustainable without her presence.
Priya jumped into a new project, with a new partner, while pregnant, on a team by herself and set everything up to run smoothly and efficiently while she was gone. Great work!
How has Priya supported you and your team?
I haven't personally had the chance to work with her much, but her presence is always welcomed. She is kind and shares her love of art and poetry willingly to anyone with an ear.
Early on Priya was a great resource for talking through vaccine concerns and helping me to make an informed decision about my health.
What makes Priya a great leader?
Priya is so generous, in time, support and spirit. From drafting protocol to sharing poetry, she brings an intentionality to her movements that invites others to meet the moment. Collaborating with her makes every task such a delight!
Priya joined IWES and didn't miss a beat in the way that she immediately familiarized herself with programs and committed to moving partnerships and goals forward!
Anything else?
I appreciate what an intentional and thorough communicator she is. 100% a great addition to our team!