We are excited to introduce Emily Nelson as the new Board Chair of Westminster Neighborhood Services! Emily has been deeply involved with our organization for several years and brings a wealth of experience and passion for community service to this leadership role.
We sat down with Emily to learn more about her journey, her vision for the future of Westminster, and how others can get involved in our mission.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and what drew you to Westminster Neighborhood Services?
It’s always been important to me to participate in my hyper-local community, which to me is the Eastside of Indianapolis. When I was in graduate school at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, I wanted to be sure I was not just studying service and giving, but actually volunteering too. I searched food pantries in the area and found Westminster. I volunteered in the food pantry for a while and then was asked to join the board in 2020. 2025 will be my sixth and final year of board service.
What excites you most about stepping into the role of Board Chair?
I think Westminster is really leveling up and is well-poised to tackle the priorities in its new strategic plan. I know we have a lot of work ahead of us, but it is good, positive work, and I am grateful to have that as the guide and priority as I move into the board chair role.
How long have you been involved with Westminster, and what has your journey looked like so far?
I started volunteering in 2018 and joined the board in 2020. My board membership has focused primarily on communications and development. I have supported Food Fight, Westminster’s largest annual fundraising event, and helped with the development committee. Last year, I even hosted a bingo night event to benefit Westminster – it was a lot of fun!
Westminster recently updated its strategic plan. Can you share a bit about the plan and what it aims to achieve? What are your priorities for Westminster as Board Chair in the coming year?
This new strategic plan is all about strengthening and refining. Westminster already does great work to support our Near Eastside neighbors through basic needs and afterschool/summer programs. With this plan, we want to dive deeper into each facet of the organization and find ways to be an even better resource for our community. A lot of the work will be internal to start, like strengthening our data collection, which will help us better align our programming to the needs in our area.
What advice would you give to someone considering getting involved with Westminster as a volunteer, donor, or partner?
The best way to understand what makes Westminster special is to experience the programming firsthand. Whether volunteering with the afterschool program, in the food pantry, at a big event like Back to School or Christmas Baskets, or even just taking a tour – there’s so much happening at our New York Street location, and it’s powerful to be part of it.
Is there a specific call to action you’d like to share with our readers to help support Westminster’s goals?
Westminster’s largest annual fundraiser is coming up soon, and attending is the perfect way to support our mission this year!
We’re thrilled to have Emily at the helm as Board Chair and look forward to the exciting work ahead as we continue to strengthen our impact on the Eastside of Indianapolis.
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