Ask the Staff: Stefanie

We are excited to introduce a fun new blog series to the website, where we ask our staff members some questions and let you guys get to know us a little better! We are starting this series off with the one and only Stefanie Parker.

So what do you do at the Drew Lewis Foundation?

I am the Director of Operations, which includes the daily management of the Fairbanks Community Hub building, and the DLF office and staff.

What kind of stuff are you listening to? This can include music, podcasts, whatever!

Bands that I’ve been listening to lately are Arizona, Tash Sultana, The 1975 and Lord Huron. I’ve been listening to many different interviews and TedTalks with Graham Hancock. He has a lot of fascinating ideas about ancient civilizations and archaeological phenomena.

What kind of stuff are you reading? Books, news, that sort of thing?

I’m currently reading two books and not making much progress on either of them because I’ve been working on re-flooring most of my house. However, I’m almost finished with Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Big Magic, and I’ve started The War on Normal People by Andrew Yang.

What are you watching? This could be shows, movies, YouTube videos/series, TikToks, the paint drying on your favorite wall, etc.

I’m not really watching any shows/series right now, because that’s more of a wintertime thing for me. I do REALLY miss going out to see a movie and can’t wait to start seeing new releases at the theater soon. I have been watching a ton of these minivan conversion videos on YouTube so that I can get ideas on how to do the best conversion once I get my next vehicle.

What are some of your favorite hobbies or activities to do outside of work?

I have two kids. My oldest is a senior and my youngest is a junior. It’s currently track and show choir season, so I’ve been spending time going to their track meets and they have one more show choir competition left. I also enjoy gardening and am currently re-flooring my home. That leaves me a little time for friends and hiking.

What brought you to the Drew Lewis Foundation? Why did you choose nonprofit work?

I used to work in the nonprofit world and really enjoyed giving back to the community. I wanted to start doing that again and this organization is doing great things in our community. How could I not choose this one?!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Traveling and working part-time from my conversion van, visiting friends and family, and seeing some beautiful places in nature with my partner.