Center Culture: Center All Staff Retreat

2023 Center All Staff Retreat

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Executive Director Amy Yaroch kicked off the 2023 retreat by providing an overview of the Center’s history, growth and future direction.

Following this, Tye Taylor, manager of human resources and training and development at OperationsInc, facilitated a team building session which used DiSC personality assessment results to help Center staff identify personal strengths and areas of development, improve communication skills and develop strategies to support team members and maximize cooperation.

Tuesday morning, Center for Nutrition and Health Impact (formerly the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition) Board Chair and founder of Mindpower Strategic Angela Cooper facilitated discussion and ideas to create inclusive culture that centers your values and drives aligned behaviors. She led the group in a neurographic watercolor exercise, the “art of positive change: transforming stress into peace and beauty.” Her experience and valuable insights delved into the potential of organizational longevity through a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).  

Pictured above: Center Board Chair and Mindpower Strategic founder Angela Cooper presenting on inclusive workplace cultures and organizational values. 

Pictured above (from left to right): Project Coordinator for Research and Evaluation Joanna Akin, Project Manager Jenna Eastman and Project Coordinator for Communications and Outreach Ruth Quattro tapping into their creative sides during the neurographic watercolor exercise. 

Pictured above: Two completed neurographic watercolor paintings.

Pictured above: Assistant Professor in the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health at Colorado School of Public Health Dr. Nicole Tuitt educating Center staff on the Wheel of Power and Privilege during the diversity, equity and inclusion learning session. 

Following this, Dr. Nicole Tuitt, assistant professor in the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health at Colorado School of Public Health, led a DEI-focused training session delving into how organizations can use the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) framework to push through comfort zones into growing zones. Dr. Tuitt touched on the importance of lived experiences and how they can influence our work, bring awareness to our own biases and affect decision-making in the workplace. We rounded out our Tuesday morning writing individual Who I Am poems that highlighted our social identities, lived experiences that shaped who we are today, family traditions and customs, and more. This profound exercise allowed us to think and reflect on the influences that have shaped our identities and increase self-awareness and encourage self-development through introspection and self-reflection. 

Pictured above (from left to right): The Center’s Associate professional development group consisting of Research Associate James Marriott, Research Associate Laura Flournoy, Senior Research Associate Clare Milburn, Research Associate Daniele Vest, Research Associate Emily Shaw, Research Associate Grace Stott, Senior Research Associate Sarah Kersten, Research Associate Natalie Cizek, Graduate Research Assistant Sueny Paloma Lima Dos Santos, Research Associate Megan Reynolds, Research Associate Maryan Isack, Senior Research Associate Francesca Papa, Research Associate Briah Mason, Research Associate Alexandra Shilen, Research Associate Maddy Wierenga, Senior Research Associate Morgan Szczepaniak and WIC Senior Research Associate Emily Dimond.

Pictured above (from left to right): Team Engagement and Internal Project Manager Tony Gargano, Project Manager Whitney Clausen, Associate Director Leah Carpenter, Project Coordinator Cara Cliburn Allen, Project Manager Katie Nelson, Finance and Operations Director Jordan Mawson, Project Coordinator for Reporting and Evaluation Joanna Akin, Marketing and Communications Manager Courtney Freitag, Project Manager Shelly Palmer, Project Manager Gretchen Groves, Project Manager Ashleigh Floyd Clark and Project Manager Jenna Eastman sharing a meal in Denver, CO.

On Wednesday, Professional Development Groups broke out for brainstorming and connection while visiting the campus of Metropolitan State University in downtown Denver.  

Pictured above (from left to right): Project Coordinator Chelsea Hollowell, Project Manager for Produce Prescription Programs Elise Mitchell, Project Manager Ashleigh Floyd Clark, Project Manager Gretchen Groves, Project Coordinator for Reporting and Evaluation Joanna Akin, Project Coordinator for Communications and Outreach Ruth Quattro, Project Manager Katie Nelson, Project Coordinator Nicole Cawrse, Team Engagement and Internal Project Manager Tony Gargano, Project Manager Shelly Palmer, WIC Project Coordinator Nadira Johnson, Associate Director Leah Carpenter, Taylor Kaminsky, Project Manager Jenna Eastman, Project Manager for Data Quality Ka Her, Project Manager Whitney Clausen, Project Coordinator Cara Cliburn Allen and Marketing and Communications Manager Courtney Freitag on MSU Denver’s campus.

Outside of workshops and sessions, team members bonded over hikes, day trips, watched a Colorado Rockies baseball game and enjoyed local foods. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect as a team while also taking a break from our daily work routines!