Campaign Coordinator Spotlight: Talen Energy

Talen Energy Campaign Coordinators

Name(s): George Lewis & Bevin Theodore
Company: Talen Energy
Job Title(s): Director-Corporate Communications &
Senior Communications Specialist 
Been with company since: June 2015 & July 2015
Number of years as a United Way Campaign Coordinator(s): 1
 
Why United Way?
George: The simplest explanation is shared interest. United Way is having real, measurable and lasting impacts on the issues I care about. I want to know that my contribution makes a difference in the community and in the lives of my neighbors. With United Way, I do.
 
Bevin: United Way has a proven track record of making a difference in communities around the world. A lot of people might not realize how many people in our own backyard need help, and United Way is behind many of the services that are helping families thrive. If I can give a little so that another family does not have to choose between keeping the lights on or putting food on the table, or so that a child is given every opportunity to succeed in school, that is one of the best investments I can make. And when we have a team of people working together for positive change, the possibilities are endless.
 
What do you like most about being a Campaign Coordinator?
George: I have been a contributor for many years, but always watched the United Way campaign from afar. This was my first year in the coordinator’s role, and it coincided with the first campaign for Talen Energy, so that was exciting. What I enjoyed most was sharing the excitement and creativity of my co-workers, and helping them bring to fruition their many good fundraising ideas, including a surprise visit to our office from Batman.

Bevin: I have been personally involved with United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley for years through Women’s Leadership Council, and I have seen firsthand the powerful impact of people pooling their resources to help their neighbors. It has been so rewarding to experience a campaign from the other side and to encourage colleagues to support the communities where we all live and work. Having a hand in making the Lehigh Valley even more vibrant is a highlight of this position.

What would people never guess you do in your role as a Campaign Coordinator?
George: One role I never would have guessed is fashion coordinator. Since this was our first year as a company, and our first campaign, one of the duties I had was to develop a t-shirt design for our Day of Caring volunteers, then hand out the shirts when they arrived. The shirts were one of our first branded clothing items, so they proved very popular, but I learned valuable lessons about apparel purchasing and size distribution.

Bevin: I had to become the queen of the spreadsheet. Everything from assigning volunteer positions for Day of Caring to recording fundraising totals to tracking donations from various company departments had to be carefully organized.
 
Any advice for your fellow Campaign Coordinators?
George: The smartest advice I can give is: Listen to your Relationship Manager! For me, every element of the campaign was new. I was fortunate to have Amy Bartholomew for questions, advice, even counseling as needed. In time, and with Amy’s help, I learned to have fun with the campaign. As a campaign coordinator, you are doing great work for a great cause, so there’s no reason not to have fun with it.

Bevin: Ask a lot of questions, especially if you are new to the role. There are a lot of ways to approach a campaign, but at the end of the day, you want it to be successful and you want employees to have fun and feel good about giving back.