Getting to Know...
Kate Hanke, Development Specialist
Kate celebrated 2 years at YES in April, and her organizational skills and attention to detail have made a BIG impact in YES' events and fundraising practices and procedures.
A fan-favorite when giving presentations about YES throughout the community, Kate has been married to husband, Glenn, for three years, and is mom to a precocious but lovable German Shepherd/Pit Bull-mix named Bubba.
Here's a quick conversation with Kate to Get to Know her!
What brought/led you to YES?
In my previous job as an advertising account executive at the Omaha World Herald, I worked directly with the Food Bank for the Heartland and fell in love with nonprofits. I started looking into local nonprofits and came across YES. I loved their mission and wanted to be a part of it. Luckily, YES was hiring at the time.
What did you know about YES before joining the team and what have you learned since you started that surprised you?
Before I started, I knew that YES helped homeless youth into a self-sufficient life. After working at YES, I have come to see all the programs we have that directly help youth. I was surprised at how many youth are on the streets every night, as well as how our Indigo program helps trafficking victims.
Where do you see your opportunity to make the greatest impact/difference in your role with YES?
I think the greatest impact I can make is getting the word out about our programs, and how we help youth. The most important part of my role at YES is letting the community know we are here.
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it that you still use today?
My first job was at Runza, and I learned that being kind to customers can make even the meanest customer easier to deal with. I use this all the time in all situations.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I am a Development Specialist, and my job entails event planning, giving presentations at schools and businesses as well as managing our CRM System. My favorite part of my job is giving presentations, but I think a close second would be planning and executing events.
It’s been a challenging year with COVID, etc. What have you learned about yourself during this time? About YES?
During COVID, I think I have learned that I can do more in my role and make processes better not only for my team and myself but for YES as a whole. I have learned that YES is a huge resource to many more youth than I originally thought.
What do you do for fun? Hobbies? Interests?
My hobbies include reading, fishing, going to the lake house in the Ozarks, playing with my dog and organizing. I'm a big organizer!
What are you most excited about working at YES? What kind of impact do you see the organization continuing to make?
I love my development team. We work together so seamlessly, and that makes us a great team. I love the impact that we make together through our fundraising and events. We know each other so well, we can finish each other's sentences. I can't imagine working with a better group.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would you use it to make the world a better place?
If I had a super power, it would be flying. Selfishly, I would use it to see the world and rescue cats from trees or whatever people who can fly do.
