KAYLA Becker
Company: Catamount Connections
Title: Program Manager
Age: 29
Favorite Part of Job: Watching people connect and build support networks! I enjoy getting out into the community and discovering how we all “fit together” to make a better place to raise a family. So many ways that are not immediately obvious and I love discovering them.
Most Inspiring Mentor: My dad has always pushed me to “do what is expected then do a little bit more.” Working around and with him inspires me to be creative and successful just as I watched him be while I was growing up.
Favorite Vermont Escape: Woodford State Park - really any state park!
Favorite Downtime Activity: Running by myself listening to music or browsing real estate ideas. And we love to go camping!
Favorite Social Media: Facebook - it works to build community & give you a community when that isn’t always easy!
Person you would like to share a Vermont beverage with: On a date with my husband Michael!
If you had unlimited access to funds, which causes would you support: Early childhood care & learning and wilderness preservation.
What is the best career advice you have received: My father taught me from as early as I could dream about what my job might be: “get a job you’ll love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” - Design a life you love.
Where do you see yourself professionally in ten years: Continuing to develop myself to be an asset for the community and discovering more ways to find fulfillment in my career-life.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont: Desire to raise our young family where we both grew up, and loved, brought us back to Vermont to live and work.
Career Highlights: Realizing the vision of a United Way at work in our community and developing a plan to bring it back to Bennington County. I grew with the organization, and especially enjoyed watching campaign dollars, participation, and volunteer numbers grow over the three years. The PBJ Slam was a particularly fun and successful highlight, with over 50 businesses and organizations working together for a common goal and over 3,600 jars of pb& j to local food shelves. Then evolving my career path to help secure a grant and open a parent support center - which was my “dream” before I took the position with United Way.
Community Involvement: Aside from the typical community involvement that comes with a community-focused career, I strive to be an involved part of the community especially as a convener of parents. I run local facebook-based motherhood groups which offer 24/7 support and connections, and build in-person community by helping create relationships prior to meeting. Helping to get parent voices to conversations where they are often not heard is an important part of my community involvement and is very satisfying to see more and more parent’s joining conversations and being asked to give their perspective and share their experiences to influence decisions being made for our community.
