By Emma Godwin, Golden LEAF External Affairs Intern
Briefly describe your role at Golden LEAF.
My role as the Operations Manager is a combination of building maintenance, daily office operations, and IT management. I coordinate with third-party vendors for building maintenance and IT.
Describe yourself in three words.
Organized. Curious. Enthusiastic.
What’s your favorite part of your job and why?
The diversity of tasks is my favorite part of my job. I am always busy. The things on my to-do list look completely different every day. I have a good balance of investigative research for IT needs and tasks for building maintenance. It feels good to check a project off the list that you have been working on for a long time, especially if the project is complicated.
What is your favorite pastime outside of work?
I absolutely love spending time with my two-year old nephew! If I’m not at work, I am most likely spending time with my family.
What is your biggest work-related accomplishment within the last year?
Golden LEAF leadership had considered running fiber network from the main building to the Foundation’s Retreat Center. They wanted the Golden LEAF Retreat Center to be a place that would always have reliable internet so anyone could work at the Retreat Center when needed. It was also imperative that the office network extend to the Retreat Center for security. To complete the project, I researched vendors, negotiated contracts, and worked with the vendors to complete the aspects of the project. I enjoy working in partnership with groups of people who support the essential operations of Golden LEAF.
What motivates you to support long-term economic development in rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities?
I grew up on a tobacco farm in Edgecombe County, and I currently live on that farm. I chose to come home to rural North Carolina to live on my family farm after I left for 20 years. It is meaningful to live on the same farm where my mom grew up, and her dad grew up, and his dad grew up. What I want for my community is for people to have the same advantages and access that others have in more urbanized areas.
Learn more about Caty Gray.