Meet Elizabeth Johnson!

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Meet (and friend!) Elizabeth Johnson, a Blackbaud Merchant Services, Education Edge, Raiser's Edge, and Target Analytics user, with The Putney School.


Meet Elizabeth Johnson! This week's Community Corner spotlight shines on Elizabeth Johnson, a Target Analytics, BBMS, Education Edge, and Raiser's Edge user, with The Putney School. Elizabeth Johnson's Community Profile>
Tell us about your family (fur babies count!) "I met my husband in college and 24 years later we have a very enthusiastic kindergartner. We are very close with my sister, Tamara (also a Community member!) We have two goldfish Nemo and Crush. We are anticipating a therapy dog in the next 6 months to come live with us during its off hours." Where do you live? "Southeastern Vermont." What do you like to do for fun? "For fun I play a lot of superhero charades and building with Legos. I like to work with my hands, spinning, weaving, quilting, and so I listen to a lot of audio books. We love being outside and mostly at our house as we live in the country and have a beautiful brook flowing behind our house." (pic below!)
	What’s a life achievement you are particularly proud of? "I can't simply pick one. Graduating summa cum laude from college after being a mediocre high school student. Twenty wonderful years of marriage. The birth of our son." What’s one memory that always makes you smile? "Watching my dad shave when I was my son's age." What is one interesting fact about yourself most people don't know? "I went to Vegas for a week and didn't gamble a penny. Since I didn't actually gamble it didn't actually happen so I don't think the if it happened in Vegas it stays in Vegas counts here." What are three things on your bucket list? "See all 50 states, watch my son grow old, to do the cool things as they occur to me and not wait to stick them on a list."
Tell us about your organization: "I work for an independent, progressive, boarding, high school in Putney, Vermont. The Putney School is different in all the right ways. I could recite the fundamental beliefs and mission statement, however, I'd rather talk about what speaks to me. Putney has a strong environmental ethic. We are working to have a sustainable campus and is in the process of retrofitting old buildings to be efficient and is committed to any new construction to be set to the highest efficiency standards possible. The school is dedicated to the arts and teaches fiber arts along side with math, history, and science. The students have a work program where they work the farm that produces much of the food we eat, pick up the office trash and recycling, vacuum the floors, and help out in the offices. Every week the community comes together for Sing, and each year two students are elected to the board as full voting members. Students are truly involved with ever aspect of school life. Alumni go off into the world and make a difference."
	What’s a typical day like for you? "Most days are different. Mondays are the most consistent, aside from today where I spent the day at our local RE user group meeting! 4:45 a.m. Checking email to see what new things my day has in store for me 5:20 Trying to convince my son he needs to go back to bed so he can get enough sleep 5:25 Waving good by to son as I drive off 6:00 Arrive at desk 6:01 Check my flat file for the day, laugh at the items I won't get to, and refile to the next day I think might be realistic 6:02 Pick the one thing that I least want to do that must get done that day and do it 6:30 Empty my inbox by dealing with the fast items and filing the other away to my Todoist 6:45 Review my Todoist for highest priority items that are best dealt with in the quiet of the day, global changes. Planning 8:00 Greet our newest employee, Heather, and discuss overview for the day 8:05 Run audit queries for the previous week, verify RE and EE are backing up daily as scheduled. Once a month verify a RE backup are viable 8:30 Run and distribute weekly reports 9:00 Meet with Heather for training and to resolve any unanswered questions 12:00 p.m. Lunch in the KDU. One of the best perks of the job! Free wholesome lunch 12:30 Tackle a project or two 1:30 Meet with Alumni Relations Manager to discuss needs for the next week or two 1:45 Address those needs 2:15 Review the next day's priorities and make sure Heather has projects for the afternoon 2:29 Shut down the ten million tabs I have open. 2:37 Drive away from Putney towards my son's elementary school 3:00 Pick up son 3:30 Snack time followed by playtime 4:30 Start to make dinner 5:30 Husband is home, time to eat 6:00 Make breakfast and lunches for following day 7:00 Get myself and son ready for bed (only night I do this regularly) 7:30 Hope that I can make it through all three to four books to read before falling asleep." What’s the best part of your job? "I love so many things about my job. I love getting to see the sunrise most days from my office. I love getting to help my coworkers access what they need to promote the mission of the school. I really enjoy the people I get to work with. I love that everyone in our office is great at their job and has no interest in anyone else's job. I love when I get an opportunity to clean something in the database or make a function more efficient!" What advice would you give someone starting out in the non-profit field? "Say yes to whatever training you can get. Have at least two monitors - one to read or create your procedures manual the other for RE. Add a picture of yourself to your community profile. Love going to work, love coming home from work. If you are not willing to donate to the organization you work for you are not working for the right organization." What do you love about the Blackbaud Community? "I love seeing users help each other in a positive way! I love seeing the profile pics that help me identified my tried and true resources and the new users that need help. I love when I can help someone. I really enjoy the daily digests. Each morning when I ready my email I open the threads that interest me into a new browser tab. I don't read them until I'm waiting for a query, an export, or am on hold. If I can add to the conversation I do so. I loved being part of the community EAP. It gave me so much more ownership of the new community over the old forums."

Finally.. if you were a sandwich, what kind of sandwich would you be? "If I was a sandwich, I'd be my favorite sandwich! Avocado, lightly salted, paper thin slices of carrots, thinly cut onion on a toasted whole wheat bread. Green, accessible, complimentary, wholesome, and confident."

News ARCHIVED | Member Spotlight 04/19/2017 12:23pm EDT

Added by Crystal Bruce

6 Comments

Amber Countis May '17

Great post, Elizabeth! So glad that our paths have crossed in Vermont! Thank you for all that you do for our community!

Elizabeth Johnson Apr '17

Thanks so much Shannon!

Shannon Emery Apr '17

Got you covered, Elizabeth! I made the change. :)

Elizabeth Johnson Apr '17

Oh Carley! Thanks for pointing that out - I had to write this twice and the second time was a little late at night for me. Clearly a typo! I'll see if they can fix it. It should have read: "If you are NOT willing to donate to the organization you work for you are not working for the right organization.

Thank you so much Carley!

Best,
Elizabeth

Carley Haynes Apr '17

What do you mean by this Elizabeth?!?! .... If you are willing to donate to the organization you work for you are not working for the right organization.

Eileen Disken Apr '17

The Putney School sounds amazing, as well as living in VT. I really like the way you start early in your day and get your least wanted to do item out of the way early in the morning. Great pictures!