In our “Employee Spotlight” series, we ask our employees about the role they play in our agency and a little bit about their family and personal life. We want to give you the ability to hear right from them about what gets them excited to come to work each day and how they personally help all of our clients succeed.
Let's meet our
Financial Empowerment Center Program Manager
,
Rebecca Johnson
!
How long have you worked for the agency? –
"I’ve worked here for about 6 months."
What are your primary job duties? –
"I’m the Financial Empowerment Center Program Manager. In this role, I manage a team of financial counselors and we offer free, one-on-one financial counseling to anyone in the Pittsburgh area. This job is fun because I really believe in FEC program and what we’re doing, and I get to spend a lot of time out in the community talking with folks, which I love."
What was the most unusual and/or interesting job you've ever had? –
"For seven years I worked with an agency that resettled refugees from around the world here in Pittsburgh. My first position was as the Housing Case Manager, so I had to find homes for families coming to Pittsburgh. I found everything to go in the homes, like shampoo, towels, cookware, furniture, everything. We used donations for some things, and other things we bought new. I always wanted the homes to feel welcoming, because it must have been scary to start over in a new place. We also connected the families to medical services, English classes, jobs, and more. Most of the clients didn’t speak English, so we used interpreters for everything. It was a really special job, and I learned so much about the places the families came from and their cultures."
Would you say you're messy or organized? –
"I would say I’m organized. I like everything to be clean and in its place."
What's your favorite food? –
"Knoephla (neh-fla) soup! I’m from North Dakota, and this traditional German soup is really popular back home. I learned how to make the knoephla, which are little dumplings, from my grandma and dad. The soup is really simple, with just potatoes, vegetables, broth, cream, and knoephla."
What's your least favorite food? –
"I really dislike cottage cheese."
Do you have any hobbies? –
"I love to garden and read, but these days I spend most of my free time doing projects in my fixer-upper of a home."
What is the one thing you couldn’t live without? –
"Definitely my family, friends, and pup Lenora, but coffee is a pretty close second."
What is your favorite book and/or movie? –
"It’s so hard to choose! I love the Harry Potter books and movies, but For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway is also a favorite."
What is your favorite color? –
"Yellow."
What is your favorite vacation spot? -
"I love Europe, especially Spain. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been."
