A Mixin' and Minglin'

Even I got grabbed for a photo op this time!

With your permission I'll borrow just a minute of your time and introduce myself. Hopefully you'll be reading a lot from me. My name is Stephanie, office manager by day, movie and book enthusiast by night, camera woman whenever possible, avid coffee drinker, chocoholic, animal lover, and full time single mom first and foremost. It goes without saying I'm an enthusiastic supporter of our cherished PBS station, KETC/Ch9. My two young children adore PBS kids, and you'd be hard pressed to get me away from Masterpiece Theater or 9 On Stage. Volunteering for Ch 9 has become a favorite distraction among my busy schedule. While I've focused more on Special events, I'm always excited to lend a hand in as many ways as I can. A camera always in hand. I hope you'll enjoy hearing of my various experiences within and outside the halls of the KETC studio.

CEO and President, Jack Galmich with his staff and volunteers.

Wednesday brought Ch 9 staff and volunteers together for a very well received Mix and Mingle. Our Fabulous Volunteer Coordinator, Brittany Carter, planned an amazing "happy hour" style get together for one and all. Staff had an opportunity to meet those volunteers whose paths they hadn't crossed yet, while volunteers were able to meet the many staff members who they hadn't had the chance to work with yet.

A bit better than typical water cooler chit chat.

Volunteers all have their own talents and CH 9 utilizes those talents by placing each volunteer in a position that will allow him or her to excel at the job at hand. There are volunteers who help out nearly every day during the work week around the studio with a variety of office duties. Others, like myself, help with special events, while some only can make it in to answer phones during pledge drives. With such a focused work effort meeting all of the fabulous staff members from each department can be nearly impossible. Enter the "Mix and Mingle"! "Staff meet our talented Volunteers!" "Volunteers, meet your dedicated Staff!" "So nice to meet you!" Problem solved. We hope. This fun event also served as a spring board to encourage staff members and volunteers to utilize the wealth of resources available from each other.

The next couple of hours proved a success as stories were swapped, work experience and general information all exchanged. Snacks and drinks were enjoyed over jovial conversation pertaining to a variety of topics. Even CEO and President Jack Galmich stopped by to say hi! I had fun exchanging a few passing words with Patrick Murphy, several delightful interns, and many of the staff, the names of whom I have since regrettably forgotten. But I hope my upcoming studio visits will help me to refresh my memory. (Must remember old parlor trick; repeat the name of the person you have been introduced to and you are less likely to forget it.)

I speak for many when I say we're hoping to see this fun event come through again, very soon! Looking forward to seeing many of these familiar faces next week at the Volunteer orientation!