Brianna Padron
Pledge Services Manager
United Way of Greater Portland
Portland, ME, USA
How long have you been working for your organization?
1.5 years.
What’s a typical day in your role like?
There aren’t many typical days in this position. I’m usually busy working within Donor Choice to ensure payouts run smoothly, or I am project managing our e-Pledge campaigns. Every day is always something new and exciting!
What motivates you to come to work every day?
What motivates me is coming up with ideas that will help make procedures more efficient while working cohesively with a team to further help our community. Before moving to Maine, when living in New York, I was with another United Way, United Way of the Adirondack Region. From there, my connection with United Way’s mission really grew.
Above: Brianna with her dog Nala exploring some local trails and parks.
What’s your favourite aspect of your job?
My favorite aspect of my job is having the opportunity to work in a cross-functional role and see how different departments in our organization work together to help our community.
What are your biggest professional challenges?
My biggest professional challenge is relaying information to designated agencies in a way that makes sense to them. Working with a lot of smaller nonprofits, it is often confusing to understand how United Ways operate and how each one is different. When performing payouts and sending correspondence, I try to make it as easy for them as possible to understand what funds they are receiving and why.
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor? Can you tell us why?
If I could choose anyone, I would choose Melinda Gates. Not only has she had a successful career, but she is also an astonishing leader. Mrs. Gates worked diligently in her career as a Microsoft Exec and now is successfully running a charitable foundation. Her drive and motivation to help people around the world are traits that are truly admirable.
What’s your personal mantra?
“It’s all good.” Whenever I come across a stressful or tense situation in my work or personal life, I find I am constantly saying this to myself internally and to others. It’s important to me to focus on the solutions instead of the problems. Keeping a positive attitude is the best way to ensure the solution is obtainable.
Above: One of Brianna’s most recent adventures was hiking in the White Mountains. The views were amazing and the best part of it all was hiking it with her significant other, Nick.
Do you have hobbies outside of work? What are they?
When I’m not at work, I love to be either relaxing with my dog, exercising, or just being outside. I am happiest when I am hiking a mountain, floating on the lake, or sitting by a cozy fire in my backyard.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Eating sweets and hanging out with my dog.
Caring in Common is a spotlight series that showcases different nonprofit professionals on the last Friday of each month. The goal is to highlight Andar Software customers from all walks of life, levels of experience, and areas of expertise. Their answers will inspire you, give you insight about the nonprofit industry, and motivate you on both a professional and personal level.