Nonprofit Site Director, Public Allies Pittsburgh

>> My name's Jessica Ruffin. I am the local site director for AmeriCorps program, Public Allies Pittsburgh. Public Allies is a national initiative that is here in Pittsburgh in partnership with Public Allies National and Core of Pittsburgh which is a local operating partner. We're a 10 month apprenticeship for young leaders who would like to get involved in a nonprofit sector. And so, they have a full time placement with a nonprofit organization where they're engaged in capacity building projects. We're also working on team service projects in some of Pittsburgh's neighborhoods as well as receiving ongoing professional development and just workforce development training. And so, as site director, my job is to make sure that our site is in compliance according to our national office standards as well as the standards that are laid out by the Corporation for National Community Service. So, everything from making sure that the allies are not engaged in what the corporation has identified as prohibited activities, for AmeriCorps members, but then, just also making sure that the partner organizations that the allies are placed with are happy with the allies' work and that the allies are able to just achieve the outcomes that they have set forth for them for the whole 10 month cycle. I'm also responsible for just really building the brand and the image of public allies. There are a ton of AmeriCorps programs in the city. And so, my job is to make sure that I'm bringing light to public allies, that we are able to recruit quality candidates each year, recruit quality partners each year to service placement. And, there's a lot that is involved in that. So, for the most part, those two things are really kind of how I fill my day. So, I definitely don't work a 40 hour week. I'm usually in my office from about 7:30 in the morning till probably about 4, 4:30 in the afternoon. I have a 10 year old son. And so, I usually try to make sure I'm home and, you know, have the flexibility to make sure I can help him with his homework and just balancing home life. But, I spend, because we have such a strong focus on leadership development, I usually spend a lot of time in the evening just getting up to speed on my craft and really reading, having conversations with people, just making sure that I'm up to speed on anything related to developing the development of leaders.