Meet the YNPN National LaunchPad Fellows

YNPN National LaunchPad Fellows monthly staff meeting (via Google Hangout)

Thanks to the generosity of the

In the fall of 2012, thanks to a generous gift from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, YNPN National was able to establish the LaunchPad Fellows Program – a way for aspiring individuals interested in building skills and experience in a very specific area to lend their time and talents to a fast-growing, dynamic organization.

LaunchPad Fellows work virtually from all over the country for 9 months, 10 hours per week meeting day-to-day organizational needs AND building sustainable systems that will help YNPN achieve its next level of development.  In turn, Fellows walk away with valuable skills, a wider network of colleagues, and a $2500 stipend.

This year we’re extraordinarily proud to be working with this inaugural group of YNPN National LaunchPad Fellows:

• Shinei Gibbs (Boca Raton, FL) – Communications Coordinator 
• Ashley Hartman (Cleveland, OH) – Field Coordinator
• Laci Lester (Oakland, CA) – YNPN National Leaders Conference Coordinator
• Betty Jeanne Rueters-Ward (Brooklyn, NY) – Talent Coordinator
• Krysten Lynn Ryba-Tures (St. Paul, MN) – Data Coordinator

Shinei Gibbs
(Boca Raton, FL)
Communications Coordinator

Bio:
Nothing is impossible to Shinei. As an innovator and problem solver, she comes up with ideas to apply to issues in her community. She began to volunteer as young as the age of 15 beginning in a hospital; thereafter she jumped on board for many different initiatives before fixating on poverty. Currently she is the director of the Denovo Project, an initiative to create self-sustainable nutritional foods. She also works internationally by providing ideas for her partners in other countries. Previously working as a Young People For fellow, she continues to brainstorm with great non-profit leaders and hopes to begin collaborating on similar goals to initiate larger impacts. As a part time student her day time job is working at Lifebushido as a Creative Team Leader, being a youth group leader, and also volunteering when she can to feed the homeless.

Shinei’s work as Communications Coordinator:
“I will be managing public relations, communications, and social media as well as providing statistical analysis, auditing and reporting in these areas. My larger projects include creating a monthly newsletter and developing a template calendar for other communications contributors to follow.”

Why Shinei applied for the Fellowship:
“I  decided to apply for this fellowship because of my talent for communications and  my passion for supporting non-profit organizations. Through the YNPN fellowship I hope to perfect my professional demeanor and hone my skills.”

Some things you wouldn’t know about Shinei from her resume:
“I am  a scientist in the making, have worked in several laboratories and plan on a PhD.”

How you can connect with Shinei:

• communications@ynpn.org
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=213458324
• People can also follow some of my community initiatives through: http://emeraldlabyrinth.webs.com/
• (Shinei is also the voice of YNPN on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn)

Ashley Hartman
(Cleveland, OH)
Field Coordinator

Bio:
Ashley Hartman is the Regional Field Manager at Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. The field team in Ohio is critical to ensure a favorable environment for Planned Parenthood health centers to provide family planning services including contraception, pregnancy diagnosis, responsible sexuality education, and access to medically accurate information. Ashley was recognized for her outstanding work at Planned Parenthood and received the Rookie of the Year award in 2011.

Ashley has been and continues to participate in several Ohio-based and national social justice programs. She is a graduate of the New Leaders program through the Center for Progressive Leadership, has served two terms with Ohio Advocates youth leadership council, presented at national and regional conferences and will begin her first experience in development with the Youth Fundraising Advisory Board with Advocates for Youth. She also attends professional development workshops with Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education, the Foundation Center, and serves as a Professional Development Committee Member with the Cleveland Young Nonprofit Professionals Network.

Ashley hopes to use her experience in health promotion and advocacy to find strategies and solutions to public health and social justice issues in Northeast Ohio and across the state.

Ashley’s work as Communications Coordinator:
“In my role, I will be providing support to YNPN Chapters in the form of training webinars, resource centers and direct, individual chapter support. I look forward to meeting YNPN leaders across the country, and supporting them in their work!”

Why Ashley applied for the Fellowship:
“I greatly enjoy working in the nonprofit sector, and value the work of the sector to improve the lives of others, impact social justice issues. I hope through this fellowship I will be able to meet other like-minded professionals, and improve my skills set so I can further contribute to the sector and motivate others.”

Some things you wouldn’t know about Ashley from her resume:
“Some of my favorite hobbies are yoga, running and scrap booking!”

How you can connect with Ashley:

Laci Lester
(Oakland, CA)
Conference Coordinator 

Bio:
Laci joins the Launch Pad Fellowship in a period of personal and professional transition; having recently relocated from Phoenix, Arizona to Oakland, California to serve as the Corporate Project Leader for Hands On Bay Area. In Phoenix, she served a two year term on the YNPN Phoenix Board and for four years she a has been an active member. As two term Alumna of the Public Allies Arizona AmeriCorps program and a two-year staff Alumna she sees the LaunchPad Fellowship as an extension of her service to a sector full of vibrant, talent people.

Laci’s volunteer and professional background is diverse and has a strong focus on youth leadership development, community activation, and organizational development.

Laci’s work as Conference Coordinator:

“I will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of our annual conference for Spring of 2013 in Phoenix. I’ll work closely with the YNPN Phoenix Planning committee to bring the network together for a memorable professional development program and will work with Trish to develop infrastructure and a sustainability plan for this signature YNPN program.”

Some things you wouldn’t know about Laci from her resume:
“My other pursuits include teaching yoga, rock climbing, and eating everything possible from food trucks.”

How you can connect with Laci:

• leadersconference@ynpn.org
• LinkedIn

Betty Jeanne Rueters-Ward
(Brooklyn, NY)
Talent Coordinator

Bio:
Betty Jeanne Rueters-Ward lives in Brooklyn and leads the youth and young adult programs at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, a large progressive church known for its social justice philanthropy, the Veatch Program.  Previously, Betty Jeanne lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she pioneered a new graduate program for activists and non-profit leaders, the M.A. in Social Change at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley. Today, she serves on the school’s Adjunct Faculty, teaching courses in ministry, theology, education, and social movement building. She has also taught at Ithaca College, where she earned her B.A. in Sociology.

Betty Jeanne has worked at the intersections of community organizing, multigenerational leadership development, and building the religious/spiritual left, for over a decade. She was a core staffperson with Catalyst Project, a national center for anti-racist education and movement building, as it developed its four-month intensive for activists, the Anne Braden Program. As a trained national interfaith leader, she built diverse religious-secular coalitions across California partnering with campaigns for marriage equality, universal healthcare, and immigrant rights. Passionate about working with all ages, Betty Jeanne has advanced youth empowerment in organizations including the Unitarian Universalist Association, OutLoud Radio, and the Carroll Center for the Blind.

Betty Jeanne’s work as Talent Coordinator:
“I’ll be developing a national strategy for YNPN National’s talent management – recruiting and developing staff and volunteers – in line with YNPN’s mission, vision, and values.”

Some things you wouldn’t know about Betty Jeanne from her resume:

“I’m a native German speaker, and was a Student Ambassador for the 2003 Semester at Sea global study voyage; my commitment to social change was fueled by my international experiences. Also, I love baking fruit tortes, water exercise, and celebrity/pop culture.”

How you can connect with Betty Jeanne:

• talent@ynpn.org
• LinkedIn