Her Story
About Stephanie
My journey in fundraising began in 2020, and it's been incredibly fulfilling to blend my passion for community impact with my professional work. After earning my Master's in Public Health, I started in the nonprofit sector running a small pet therapy organization for about three years, where we brought volunteers with their dogs and cats to nursing homes, universities, and hospitals to provide comfort and love through our furry friends. I then moved to Fernbank Museum, where I spent five and a half years in philanthropy and individual giving, helping to elevate the mission of bringing science, nature, and human culture to the community. During that time, I worked to be a trusted source for science, especially during a really turbulent time for science and hands-on learning, raising funds for exhibits and science-based documentaries. I was particularly proud of our work with Title I schools, ensuring that students of all backgrounds could enjoy the physical sciences and spark curiosity through museum access and field trips. Now, as Senior Philanthropy Officer at Georgia Conservancy, one of the largest and oldest environmental conservation groups in Georgia, I've found my true calling. The environment and conservation have always been among my top passions, and it's been amazing to blend my interests, passion, and lifestyle into my work. My day-to-day involves being out in the community all throughout the state, connecting with fellow Georgians over coffee or lunch, traveling to Savannah and our coast, and doing what we call listening tours. I hear people's concerns about rising sea levels, our changing climate, and the impacts on our environment and water, and I'm constantly inspired by how engaged people are. One of my proudest achievements has been creating SAGE (Stewards and Advocates for Georgia's Environment), a community for women who care about conservation and want to be around like-minded women to learn more. I had this idea when I was at Fernbank, and on day one of my role at Georgia Conservancy, I got the green light from leadership to explore it. I spent the last half of 2024 gauging interest, mapping out my vision, and created a leadership council of about a dozen incredible, diverse women. We had our first meeting in January and our first event in early May, talking about our advocacy work at the state capitol. We now have around 60 members all over the state, and I'm excited to see where this group goes and what impact we'll have on our community.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Stephanie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would probably attribute my success to having a really great community of my own, including friends and family that I've been able to lean on when I've needed extra support. They have been there when I've had some challenging times, and they have also celebrated my successes with me. Knowing that I've got my own small community on this journey keeps me going and motivates me to continue doing the work that I'm passionate about.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that everything is temporary. Even if you've had your worst days, those are going to be temporary, but even your best days are going to be temporary too. This advice reminds me not to let the bad moments consume me or bring me down too much, but also to appreciate and be present in the good moments. It's a reminder that things are never as bad as we think they are, but they're also never going to be as perfect as we hope, so it helps me stay balanced between those two polarizing perspectives.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge right now would probably be the current administration at the federal level. There are just different priorities now that make conservation a little bit more challenging, and that's why our advocacy work is so crucial. Georgia Conservancy is bipartisan and we work with either party, which is important because there are a lot of hot topics in the environment, and rightfully so. You see communities speaking out and defending their community and their land, as they should. Some challenges include different interests and different budgets, and we have to work within those confines while trying to support those communities the best that we can. But I think there are still a lot of opportunities with upcoming elections and opportunities for educating folks in the community about what they can still do, even with other challenges and restrictions. It's not hopeless, and we're not hopeless. Part of what SAGE is about is having that reminder and that community center where we can all lean on each other and work together.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Some really big values for me are being good stewards and conscious of our shared global home, and trying to be as sustainable as possible. I try to be mindful with my purchases and which industries I want to support, and I try to support as local as possible. Having a lot of respect for animals and the other beings that we share this planet with is really important to me. Ultimately, it comes down to just being good stewards and being kind to one another, knowing that we never know what somebody is going through or what they have gone through. Just being kind is fundamental to how I approach both my work and personal life.
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