Emily Whitfield

I've been in my current field for a little over a year, working as Deputy Director at the Art Center in The Dalles, Oregon. Before this, I was in the corporate world, but I made the transition to nonprofit after living in Mexico City for two years. During my time in Mexico, I really enjoyed how artsy my friends were - I found it very inspiring, and I've always loved art, so I decided on a whim to apply for this position and it was a fit. My responsibilities include designing exhibits, running social media, assisting with booking classes, and creating community events - really everything except applying for grants. What I'm most proud of is the impact I've made on the community. I've heard from multiple people in this town that after meeting me, either at events outside of the center or coming to the center for the first time in years to decades, they feel welcome for the first time in the space. I know that in the past it had been run by people who were a little out of touch with the population, and I've really taken that to heart. Being able to bring comfort to people and make them feel like it's a space that they belong in is just great. Beyond my work at the Art Center, I also help out at the local middle school a couple times a week with the reading program, I started coaching youth lacrosse this year, and I'm on my county's search and rescue team.