Meet Jess Del Fiacco.
Jess was the VISTA for the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) in the 2017-18 cohort. Like many VISTAs, she decided to stay in the local nonprofit sector after service. Jess now works at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance as part of the Community Broadband Network Initiative.
As their Communications Associate, Jess is responsible for much of the press outreach, social media planning, and managing the various ways the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s work is shared with the public.
But how exactly does her VISTA service relate to the work she does now?
Jess answered by saying, “Though I'm working in a very different field, the communications and outreach work I do is very similar to what I did when I was a VISTA.” As a VISTA at MIWRC, Jess was in charge of assessing the social media and communication plans that were in place and develop strategies to improve the content and increase awareness of the organization’s name and services.
When Jess talks about her VISTA service, she says that she was afforded a lot of freedom and support to pick and choose projects. She was often encouraged to pursue different ideas as a VISTA.
Her VISTA service has had a direct impact on her work today. Jess says serving “allowed me to gain new experiences in areas I was interested in. As a result, I knew what sort of position I was looking for and was prepared for it.”
Jess enjoys working in nonprofit communications, but isn't planning her next step quite yet, saying "I'm looking forward to seeing where this opportunity takes me."
We’re glad you’ve chosen to be a part of a strong nonprofit network, Jess. Thank you for your service!