Here at Willis Dady we truly value our staff. There are so many different gifts, skills, and personalities that come together to do the work that we are doing. Each individual brings something unique to the table, as well as a passion to help those who are experiencing homelessness. Because of this, we are able to celebrate when it’s time to add new talents, and when it’s time for our beloved staff to move on.
With this in mind, we are announcing the departure of both Emily Zimmon and Marcy Oates.
Emily started with Willis Dady in December of 2015. She has held the positions of Homeless Prevention Case Manager, Homeless Prevention and Street Outreach Case Manager, Homeless Prevention and Street Outreach Manager, Support Services Director, and Development Director. Over the years Emily has built many of the programs that provide our clients with the support, stability, and opportunities they need to reach their goals and become self-sufficient. Although she will miss Willis Dady, Emily Says she is excited for the opportunity to travel the world on a more regular basis, while still finding ways to give back and support those in need.
Marcy started as a volunteer with Willis Dady in 2018 and became a staff member in March of 2019. She has held the positions of Development Coordinator, Operations Manager, and Operations Director. Marcy has been an incredible support to our case management staff, and an intracule part of helping our clients work towards stability. In retirement Marcy is looking forward to traveling, camping, and spending more with her grandson.
We want to give a huge thanks to Marcy and Emily for their years of dedication to our organization. Willis Dady truly wouldn’t be where we are today without them, and we are so grateful for all that they have done to push us forward. We celebrate with you as you move on to the next great portion of your life.
We also want to celebrate the addition of two new members of our team. Aaron Amundson will be taking over Emily’s position as Development Director, and Cindy Petersen will be stepping in as our Office Manager.
Aaron most recently has worked with Matthew 25 as their Groundswell Director. Realizing a need in the community for access to healthy delicious meals, Aaron helped to launch the Groundswell Café in 2018. The Groundswell Café has been able to serve thousands of free meals to those in need, by using a Pay-it-Forward concept. While Aaron led this program he developed relationships with many people experiencing homelessness and felt led to continue his journey as part of the Willis Dady team as our Development Director.
Cindy most recently worked as a Benefits Specialist and Receptionist with the McGrath Family of Dealerships. She has a degree in Journalism from Mount Mercy University and has self-published several books. During her senior year at Mount Mercy, she wrote a paper on homelessness, and what our community can do to help prevent it. Since then she has looked for ways to help local nonprofits and says she is thrilled to join our team at Willis Dady in the Office Manager position.
Thank you for taking the time to celebrate with us as we grow and change. We all look forward to the success of these amazing people
Are you interested in joining our Willis Dady Homeless Services team? Check out our current open positions at https://www.willisdady.org/jobs, or at the "Job Opportunities" link under How You Help tab in the navigation bar.