Meet Erica, our first-ever Development Manager at the Women’s Fund! Passionate about community-centric fundraising, she focuses on equity, social justice and fostering a sense of belonging through her work. Prior to this role, Erica served as the Capital Campaign and Grants Administrator at Omaha Performing Arts. In her spare time, she loves playing board games, biking, running, attending shows, reading science fiction and exploring Omaha with her dog, Davey. Read on to learn more about Erica.
What’s your favorite part of working at the Women’s Fund so far?
I love the team at the Women’s Fund! Everybody is so generous with their time and passionate about the work.
Describe the Women’s Fund in three words?
Collaborative, Compassionate, Driven
Best thing about living/working in Omaha?
I love Omaha. There is almost always something fun and interesting going on if you look for it, but it still has a community-focused, small-town feel.
When you’re not working, what’s your favorite thing to do?
I really enjoy learning new skills. These past few months, I’ve been trying to teach myself how to sew and play the bass—both have been so frustrating in their own ways but also so fun. In the summer, I’m also a big fan of reading poolside.
What’s one goal you hope to accomplish in the next year?
I feel like I’ve accomplished some major life goals in the past year. I ran my first marathon and finally finished my doctorate! So, this next year, my goal is to just take things one at a time and re-center family, friends and peacefulness.
What’s the most interesting or unusual job you’ve ever done?
My first-ever job was at a luxury dog boarding kennel in McKinney, Texas. From giving “paw-dicures” to curating a schedule of pet-themed movies the dogs could watch in their suites, I felt like I was a personal assistant to a lot of very high-maintenance animals. I had a blast.
What are you listening to these days?
Recently, I’ve been listening to Mogli, Florence and the Machine, St Vincent, Indigo De Souza, Billie Eilish, Nia Archives and Portishead. As far as classic favorites go, I’m a big David Bowie fan.
If Hollywood made a movie about you, who would you like to see cast as you?
Renee Rapp. If Hollywood were to make a movie about me, I’d hope it would be a musical.