WELCOME THERESA DEER TO THE IMPACT TEAM!
A little over a month has passed since we brought Theresa Deer aboard the IMPACT team, serving as our newly appointed Event and Program Coordinator. Theresa brings a youthful energy and a constant smile to the office every day, except at this very moment as we’re stuck working from home during the national pandemic we’re all experiencing! That said, we’re sure she’s smiling from her seat in her home office…
Please join us in welcoming her to our team, and learn more about her and the role she’s taking on in the following conversation:
How’d you learn about IMPACT Melanoma initially? What led you to want to get involved?
I initially saw a job posting for the Event and Program Coordinator at IMPACT Melanoma which led me to look at the website and understand IMPACT’s cause. Upon doing so, I learned about all the amazing programs that IMPACT has to offer. These programs target different groups of people from teens, to beauty professionals, to outdoor workers, to everyone in between. I knew I wanted to be involved to help make a difference and to spread the word about the deadliest form of skin cancer. With these programs and the help of all our fundraising efforts, in addition to our generous donors, people across the United States and of all different ages will get the education, prevention, and support they need. I am so excited to be involved with this mission.
What is your past experience with the non-profit world (if any)? How does this experience help you walk down this new path?
I previously worked with a nonprofit called the Hopkinton Country Club Charitable Foundation which introduced me to the nonprofit world. I helped organize their annual golf tournament and gala as their Development Advocate/Coordinator. The experience I gained is what ignited my passion for nonprofit organizations as a career. I want to be able to put good out into the world and I can’t think of a better place to do that than with IMPACT Melanoma. All the programs are impacting people’s lives for the better and I am grateful to be a part of that now.
What excites you about your new role at IMPACT?
What excites me most is our fundraising events and getting to experience the atmosphere and passion of everyone coming together to raise money for a common goal. I am so looking forward to working our first event and know that will only add fuel to my fire to continue to work hard to expand our programs to as many people across the United States as we can!
How has your first month gone? Obviously, you’re hoping on board at a very curious time in our general history here… What have been some challenges? What have been some inspiring moments thus far?
My first month has gone extremely well. Everyone I come in contact with is very welcoming and friendly, which makes it easy to go to work every day. It is a bit challenging working from home during this curious time while I am still learning all the ins and outs of my job description, but I know this won’t last forever. Something that inspires me is our Boston Marathon team (Team IMPACT). The race date has been postponed from April 20 to September 14, yet our team has still been active in checking in with us about their updated training and fundraising schedule. I know this must be hard on them having trained so hard for so long. However, I see their determination and drive which has been inspiring to me. I can’t wait to cheer them on when the race date finally comes!
What do you think you add to IMPACT and what are you hoping to accomplish as you work yourself into your new role?
I think I add a fresh perspective and an optimistic attitude. I’m hoping to be able to work with my new colleagues to continue to bring our programs across the country and host our annual fundraising events despite the current worldwide situation going on at the moment. I’m hoping to be able to optimize my skillset in my new position while continuing to learn and grow both professionally and personally.
Why should folks get involved with IMPACT Melanoma? How can they get involved (in what capacity)?
People should get involved with IMPACT Melanoma because it is something that can benefit every person. The sun can damage anyone and everyone’s skin, so it is important to get informed and help us spread education, prevention, and early detection to everyone in their lives. They can get involved through one of our programs. Our online courses are a great tool to use right now! Students and Teachers can take our Your Skin Is In online course to learn how to develop safe lifestyle practices and learn about skin cancer. Beauty professionals can take our online course Skinny On Skin to educate themselves on how to look for signs of skin cancer on their clients they see frequently. This program is essential for early detection and their clients are even more thankful to them for it. These are just two of our programs, but I invite everyone else to check out our other programs Safe Skin at Work and Practice Safe Skin. We also need volunteers throughout the year for our various events. Please reach out to us if you want to get involved! IMPACT Melanoma is for everyone to benefit from. Email me at tdeer@impactmelanoma.org if you have any questions or would like to get involved!
What should people know about you? What are some “fun facts” about Theresa Deer?
One thing people should know about me is I love to spend my free time outdoors in nature. Whether it’s to go on a hike, take a walk with my family, travel, go camping… if there’s an outdoor adventure, sign me up! (I’ll bring the sunscreen…) I’ve hiked Mount Washington twice and hope to make the trip up the highest peak in the Northeastern United States again this summer.
Visit www.IMPACTMelanoma.org early and often to keep up to date on all the goings on here as 2020 unfolds.
