We’re excited to welcome DeeDee LeMier to the Charities Review Council team!
DeeDee is a graduate of Hamline University, with a Masters in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, with an emphasis in Business and an emphasis in Organizational Communication. She is a passionate community developer and organizer, with outreach experience across sectors. DeeDee hails from a tiny town, outside of another tiny town, in the Bemidji area, and currently resides in Pine City with her spouse and two children.
In her role as Engagement & Outreach Manager with Charities Review Council, DeeDee will be providing regional support to internal and external stakeholders of the Council, including our donor and nonprofit partners. You can expect to see DeeDee at local and regional networking events and conferences in the near future! To learn more about our newest addition, check out our Q&A with DeeDee below.
What excites you about joining the Charities Review Council team?
Growth is easily what excites me the most! The Council has gone through an intensive strategic planning process to identify areas of investment and opportunity. My new role will allow me to focus on contributing to those goals through partner outreach and engagement across the region. The combination of having the vision and the ability to scale growth is very exciting and exactly the environment I thrive in.
How have you seen nonprofits play a role in community?
While in college, I interned at Tubman, a Meets Standards® nonprofit, and assisted with planning the annual Wing Ding event. I learned a great deal about lining up sponsorships, communicating with donors, and event management from that experience. Additionally, I observed the delicate relationship between the confidential nature of Tubman’s work with clients and the need for transparency and storytelling with donors.
What are you most looking forward to in this new role?
My first few months will involve a lot of travel and I look forward to getting out to meet our partners! Some of the best projects come together when you get out of the office and connect in-person. I can’t wait to have partners show off their facilities, hear what they are most excited about in their work, and help them increase their organizational impact with the Council’s Accountability Standards® and Accountability Wizard® nonprofit review process.
What is your favorite nonprofit or cause?
Do I have to choose just one? The areas where I spend the most time are around rural economic development, equity, and food justice. You will find me volunteering, advocating, or lobbying at the capital for those issues through a variety of organizations.
When you’re not connecting with donors and nonprofits at the Council, what do you like to do for fun?
You can find me hiking through the fields of my farm in East Central Minnesota, adventuring along the shores of Lakes Superior, or hunting for the best cake donuts in Minnesota. Raphael’s Bakery in Bemidji has fantastic fudge dipped donuts and World’s Best Donuts in Grand Marais makes a wonderful classic glazed. I am always willing to try a bakery – do you have any favorites in your neck of the woods? Shoot me an email. I’d love to hear about them!
We’re thrilled to have DeeDee on our team! Join us in welcoming DeeDee to the Charities Review Council team by sending her an email and connecting with her on LinkedIn.
