When I ventured into my first Leadership United session offered by United Way of Central Indiana last year, I had no idea what to expect. I knew Leadership United was a nonprofit board development program where I’d be interacting with other professionals, absorbing a wealth of knowledge about our region, and preparing myself for board leadership in a different capacity outside of academia.
But little did I know I’d also be walking away with lifelong friendships, a stronger understanding of my cause-based passions, and an invaluable skillset that would serve useful to me in all aspects of life.
Whatever mile marker you find yourself at on your career journey, this competitive program empowers you to reflect on and reimagine your career in a unique way.
Here are some sneak peeks at what my pro-roadmap contains now as a 2020 Leadership United grad:
Listening to the community at large. Leadership United gave me the opportunity to listen to various nonprofit organizations in Central Indiana and make the connection between the needs of the community and the needs of Central Indiana’s human services network. These organizations directly tie back to United Way’s focus areas of health, education, financial stability, and basic needs. Additionally, with the some of the long-term, residual impacts of COVID-19, many individuals and families in our region are facing challenges attached to basic needs for the first time, so the need for strong, civic-minded leaders has never been more important.
Learning where I plug in and why it matters. When I listened to community leaders about what their challenges were, I was able to quickly find connections between my skill set and where organizations could benefit from my talents. I saw where my experience in public relations, marketing, and communications could help elevate or strengthen an organization’s mission and reach more neighbors who needed assistance, while witnessing that work firsthand. I also learned about areas of nonprofit operations that weren’t as familiar to me, like finance, fundraising, and research.
Leadership that influences and generates measurable impact. Collaborating with fellow classmates across different industries, better understanding my strengths, and working with staff who managed the program (who I also have the privilege of calling teammates) accelerated the pace in which I assumed leadership responsibilities. This is important no matter where you go, but critical for anyone considering board leadership, where expectations often require the ability to quickly convert complex concepts into simple, effective solutions that have long-term effects. Transform your authenticity and interests into the action-oriented results our community needs with an application to Leadership United’s 2020-2021 cohort this fall.
Meet Jennifer Hashem
Jennifer Hashem is a public relations manager for United Way of Central Indiana. Her career began with the City of Indianapolis’ Department of Public Works as a public information officer serving under two different mayoral administrations. She then pursued a career in the private sector as head of social media lead for the largest Verizon authorized retailer in the country, The Cellular Connection (TCC), where she was ingrained in the digital marketing space. In her current role at United Way, she’s led an internal communications plan for the organization, manages media partnerships, relationships, and interviews across six counties, and represents United Way’s Marketing, Communications, and Community Relations Team as a member of IDEAL (Inclusion Diversity Equity Advancement Leaders) where she supports industry-wide efforts to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jennifer received her Bachelor of the Arts in English with a Spanish minor from IUPUI and serves as an at-large board member and Student Events and Programs Chair for the IUAA IUPUI School of Liberal Arts. This year, she was also accepted into the first cohort of the James T. Morris Global Leadership Series on a full scholarship via the International Center of Indianapolis.
Twitter: @jenniferhashtag
