By Emily Davis, Secretary/Treasurer, Southeastern PA Group
Tracy Daniels is one of those special volunteers who suggests a new idea and then is willing to take the lead in making it happen. One such idea is the position of Group Advocate. The Pennsylvania Chapter Executive Committee (ExCom) recently created the position at her suggestion.
Tracy has been a Sierra Club volunteer for over 10 years. It all started when a hiking buddy asked for her help in running a fundraiser for the Lancaster Group. She knew Tracy, who spent 25 years in Marketing and Development, had experience with running special events and today the Polar Bear 5K Race is still the group’s main fundraiser. Tracy said the Sierra Club volunteers were some of the most dedicated, hard-working and fun people she has met. She came because she was needed, stayed because it was fun and she enjoyed the people. She is now chapter delegate for the Lancaster Group, Chapter Equity Chair, manages the elections for chapter /group excoms, and is Group Advocate.
All this activity is on top of her work as a real estate appraiser and her family life. Her three children are grown, but she has 2 grandchildren close by and “they are her favorite things.” By the way, she came to Lancaster, PA to go to Franklin and Marshall College, and never left. She has never used her degree in archeology directly, but the problem-solving skills she gained were useful in her marketing and development work and now in her work as a Real Estate Appraiser and Sierra Club volunteer.
Managing our internal elections is a bigger job than one might think. The chapter and the groups can now elect their excoms on-line; Tracy makes sure members without email addresses get a chance to vote by mailing them postcards and then election ballots that are personalized based on group membership. If groups participate, the chapter pays for the large mailing, so the group’s funds can go to program activities.
Tracy has extensive tech skills. In her work she sits in front of two computers and five monitors. This, along with her knowledge of marketing, helped her understand Sierra Club’s new communication software, Marketing Cloud, which connects the member database and Campfire. It will also keep us in contact with people who attend our events who are not members.
As Group Advocate, Tracy will help the groups share ideas. She conducts monthly meetings around specific topics, such as how to recruit people and keep them, and fundraising. Another topic is using the electronic tools the club provides to stay in touch with group members. She wants to help groups use these tools effectively and connect with their members and friends. She is looking for people who are willing to learn how to do this – so if you are interested in learning how to use these new technology tools to help your group, contact Tracy at tdaniels@consultant.com.