2021 has been a whirlwind at WNA so far, with three new staff members joining the team. We wanted to introduce them to you!
Kelley Abell (Project Manager) is a performer, educator-facilitator, disability rights advocate and gardener. She will be supporting Meals on Wheels Texas as well as contributing on short-term projects. Kelley started with WNA in January and noted how winter storm Uri drew into focus how essential our clients’ work is. In her words, “the social sector helps to hold communities together during crisis.” She sees the pandemic as a time of intense learning and reconfiguration of how she understands community, and she views her transition to join the WNA team as a part of that ongoing learning. One thing she appreciates about being a part of the WNA team so far is that we are unafraid to ask big questions about ourselves and our relationship to the broader community.
Corie Lonidier (Coalition Coordinator) has lived in Austin since she was a child, leaving only briefly to pursue her bachelor’s degree at Texas State University. Corie will be supporting coalition clients with a primary emphasis on One Voice Central Texas. Corie comes to WNA with rich experience in the non-profit sector, previously providing programmatic and organizational support for grant-funded health clinics across Texas. Corie also has a master’s degree in Dementia & Aging with a focus on the social and financial inequities surrounding long-term care for seniors. Corie has been impressed by the passion and knowledge of the coalition representatives she has engaged with so far, and feels like the position is a great fit because she loves to coordinate and organize in a behind-the-scenes capacity. In her spare time Corie loves playing disc golf with her husband and friends, including at her own wedding. She loves disc golf because it’s like hiking but you get to celebrate small wins along the way.
Madeleine Jordan-Lord (Coalition Coordinator) is a recent transplant from Richmond, Virginia. Madeleine will be supporting the Austin/Travis County Reentry Roundtable and the Transit Empowerment Fund. One of the things that Madeleine says drew her to WNA was our role as process facilitators – she feels like it’s a role she has played in other organizations so it’s a good fit for her. She is also excited to learn the systems and tools that WNA uses because she can see that it’s an important way that we support clients. A wildflower lover, Madeleine is eagerly scattering Texas wildflower seeds in her yard and is enjoying the arrival of the Bluebonnets this spring.