Hub Heroes: January 2017

For the month of January, we are proud to highlight the community contributions of Shaun Simpkins, Jodi Nemser-Abrahams and Anne Crawford. Thanks to Shaun, Jodi, and Anne for all you do!

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Shaun Simpkins
PFLAG Portland Chapter

Two truths and one lie about Shaun:

1. I’ve programmed a computer using punch cards.
2. I’ve flown the Trench to Alaska and back. You pilots know what I’m talking about.
3. I can’t stand Japanese food.

Why is community important to me, and what motivates me to contribute?

Community is in my blood, but I never realized it until I met my wife, a compassionate administrator and activist. Engineers are often loners. When our son came out, we got busy, helping to build a stronger, more loving community for him to live in. Now that he’s grown, it’s become our full-time mission and passion to keep building community for others like our son.

Doing SF admin/development is my “3rd chapter” volunteer gig. When I started with SF/NPSP (just 3 years ago!), it was a very different time. It was a challenge to come up to speed fast enough to make NPSP work for my PFLAG chapter in Portland, Oregon. NPSP and the Hub made it possible for me to not only get my own chapter rolling, but tie together all of our sister chapters in our 5-state region. I spent hours poring through posts and questioning others, who gladly helped me – over and over. The Hub saved me – so I pay it forward every day, geeking out with my fellow Hubbers as we ride the Rocket Ship. And I haven’t had this much fun since I had hair…

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Jodi Nemser-Abrahams
Keshet

Two truths and one lie about Jodi:

1. I’ve driven across the country on three separate occasions
2. I bike to work all year, even in the Boston winter
3. I can recite the names of all 50 US states in alphabetical order off the top of my head

Why is community important to me, and what motivates me to contribute?

Being a solo admin at a small nonprofit, the Power of Us Hub and the nonprofit Salesforce community have been an invaluable resources for me. Even though I am the only person at my organization who speaks Salesforce, I don’t feel alone in my work because of this community.

I contribute to the Hub because I want to give back; I want to help others who are also out there looking for support and community. Whenever possible, I want to pass my knowledge along to others so that they can spend more time and energy supporting their organizations and less on figuring out how to navigate the oddities and tricks of Salesforce.

Nonprofits are doing such critical work to help better the world, and contributing to the Hub is my little way of helping others further their important missions.

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Anne Crawford
KELL Partners / Bay Area Nonprofit User Group Leader

Two truths and one lie about Anne:

1. I was one of the first 1,000 members of the Power of Us Hub
2. I have visited every natural hot spring on the West Coast
3. I have run over 25 silent and live auctions for various nonprofits

Why is community important to me, and what motivates me to contribute?
My first introduction to the Salesforce community was in 2009. I had just been hired as the sole user and default admin at a tiny nonprofit. I was desperate for help but had no idea how to find it (googling didn’t work because all the standard objects had been renamed when they implemented in 2006.) I don’t remember how, but somehow I found out about my local user group. When I walked in it was like someone threw me a lifeline. There was a room full of friendly people, mostly developers at that point, and they helped me patiently through my super basic questions. They connected me with the Google group that preceded the Power of Us Hub, and even sorted out my confusion about object names so I could at least use Salesforce Help & Training. And the next month they did it again.

With the Power of Us Hub, things have just gotten better and better. I love being able to help other people just like others helped me in the past. And, at Dreamforce last October I was reminded how much our virtual community has become a real community, as I ran into countless people that I initially met through the Power of Us Hub, my User Group, or Girlforce. I am so grateful for the Salesforce Community.

 

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