Emma Webb: Multicultural Leadership Program

Onto week 2 and day 5, we started the day a bit later than usual, arriving at 11:30 for check in. I was totally fine with this, as I got to sleep in a little. The first matter of business was an EDI lunch and conversation based on Brené Brown's book 'Dare to Lead." Shay was even able to get us a copy of the book which was awesome. Our lunch was from Taste of Africa and it was delicious. It was also nice to try something new, and throughout this program, I tried a lot of new places which in itself is a big accomplishment for me. It was my first time taking part in an EDI lunch and I would say it was a very rewarding and beneficial experience. Equity, diversity, and inclusion is so important and it is highly necessary that an organization works to constantly improve these efforts, and it seems DMPA is an organization that heavily values EDI. After this insightful and informational session, we got ready for the grad panel. The grad panel consisted of relatively new graduates who began their careers recently. We were able to sit down and have a conversation with the recent graduates and ask them any questions we could possibly think of. As someone who doesn't have everything planned and is constantly looking for reassurance because of that, I loved the grad panel. The recent grads made me feel comfortable in not knowing what comes next, and even admired the feeling. They shared their individual experiences with stepping out of college and making the transition into the work force. My key takeaway after speaking with everyone is to say yes to virtually any opportunity that comes my way. To say yes to things that seem scary and are outside my comfort zone. To try new things and learn from the experience regardless of it went how I anticipated. This session was very helpful to me personally. After the panel we got to meet the production team which included Janet, Nick, Ryan, Brian, Jamie, and Dani. It was great getting to know the production team, and it was very different than the corporate team. Everyone was so much fun and very laid back; that is, until workers started arriving to begin unpacking the trucks and arrange for the show Ain't Too Proud. Everyone put their game faces on got right to work during this time. Katiana and I got to wear hard hats and observe the production team at work, as well as sit in the audience with the amazing Janet. She would narrate what everyone was doing and answered any questions we had about the load in. The production team would be working on load in until 10pm that night, and would come in bright and early the next day to make sure everything gets finished before the 7:30pm show. After about an hour of observation, we journaled about our experience and checked out.

As I approach the end of the program, I realize just how much I will miss being a part of the organization. I am reminded of this during coffee with the team on day 6. It's nice to keep up with everyone and hear what is going on in their lives. The best part of my day came next, when we went to the Food Bank of Iowa and met with CEO, Michelle Book. Michelle gave us a presentation on what the Food Bank of Iowa is and does, and walked us through her role as CEO. She shared how she worked hard and had the drive to earn a leadership position. She was very inspiring and her passion for the Food Bank of Iowa really stood out to me. We were given a tour of the Food Bank, both the departmental side and the warehouse side. It really tugged on my heart strings to hear about specific programs the Food Bank does and just how important the nonprofit organization is in helping so many families throughout Iowa. I learned that I want a job as fulfilling as Michelle's where I know I am making a difference. It has become increasingly important for me to work at a nonprofit organization and share its story and mission with others. The Food Bank of Iowa really opened my eyes to how meaningful work can be. Following the presentation and tour, we headed back to DMPA and walked to our lunch destination. Today we were eating at La Mie with the Education and Programming Team at DMPA. Lunch was delicious and Education and Programming were great company. They had so many words of wisdom to share and spoke with us about their job duties and how they came to be in their current positions. Everyone was so awesome and I was so grateful to spend time with them and receive such helpful advice and information. After lunch, we reviewed brand standards which contained lots of information that was beneficial to know. After reviewing, we were able to meet with DMPA's Director of Development, Ben Luczak. Ben was so kind and shared his story and progression throughout his career. He told us what his job consists of and how important it is in maintaining stability for DMPA. Donors are hugely important in a nonprofit organization, and Ben talked with us about DMPA's amazing donors and how they make the organization's dreams and missions possible. 

Day 7 was a great day for many reasons. The day started with a coffee chat, but it wasn't the ordinary coffee chat. The topic consisted of food hot takes or our slightly controversial food opinions. It was very entertaining to listen to everyone's opinions, and how strange some of them seemed. This most definitely brought a laugh to my morning. We then met with Kennedy from the Ticket Office and learned more about what goes on within the department, and what her position consists of. We got to witness their daily, 9:45am meeting which was interesting, especially following night one of Ain't Too Proud. We also got to see firsthand the actions following a customer call, and the staff in this department receive these frequently. Seeing how the ticket office functions and how the different personalities shine was so fun and interesting. Similarly, we got to meet Allie in Guest Services better, and she was super nice and laid back. We learned what her job consisted of, and got to see the concessions area too. The company just keeps growing in my eyes and it is fascinating to see the evolvement of it, as each area or department is very different but equally unique and has much to offer. Following our meetings with the Ticket Office and Guest Services it was time for lunch with not only the marketing, communications, and digital experience departments, but also with some of the cast of Ain't Too Proud. This was such a unique and thrilling experience, and I learned a lot about what the casts' lives are like and how they came to be. This was also a realization that they are normal people with so much passion for the arts. Upon arrival back to the Civic Center, I learned a lot more about what the marketing managers do for the organization and on a daily basis, what the communications department does in forwarding the organization, and digital experience's role in supporting these efforts. This time was very valuable to me as someone who would love to pursue a career in marketing, and learning about each person's individual duties was very insightful. It helped solidify what I think I want in my career, and I can certainly see myself functioning in these different company areas/departments. Day 7 rocked and I am so sad for this program to be coming to an end. 

Day 8 started with the routine coffee chat where I was able to check in with others and get to know them and their lives a little bit better. We were also able to meet with the Director of Communications, Jonathan, who helped us solidify our ideas for our DMPA project. Our project represents a means of expression for us to showcase our time throughout DMPA. As visibly clear, I chose to create this website to share my experience, all the fun we had, and the things we learned. I would love to help future students who are interested in becoming participants of the program learn all about it and its benefits. Next came the most exciting part of the day which took place at the Des Moines Art Center. I was honored to meet the center's Director of Development, Tiffany Spinner, and hear her story as well as the sincere advice she had to offer. It was truly a blessing to meet her, and to have lunch with her, Shay, and Katiana at the center's restaurant, Tangerine. The food was great and so was the atmosphere. We then toured the Art Center and admired all of the unique sculptures, paintings, and pottery all throughout the building. We talked about what we personally thought about the art, what it made us feel, and how we interpreted the piece. This was very insightful and such an eye-opening experience as art is so subjective and everyone sees a different story within. After the wonderful time we had at the Art Center, it was time to head back to DMPA and work on our projects, which was this website for me. I wanted to make sure I included all of our exciting adventures in photo form, and these can be seen under the images tab. I knew I wanted to share a little bit about myself so other students can learn a little about me and see that they too can be a part of this amazing program. I also wanted to share about each of my days, so future possible participants will have lots of information about what the program consists of. Most importantly, I knew I wanted to highlight what this program has really taught me and the main pieces of information I have learned because of it. What I learned can be seen on the bottom of this page. My time with the organization has been nothing short of fulfilling and I am so thankful to have been lucky enough to be part of it.