Her Journey: Spotlight on Pamela Zeller

Her Journey is a multimedia series aimed at highlighting the voices, challenges, and triumphs of immigrant and refugee women, girls, and folks on the feminine gender spectrum. In honor of Women's History Month, we are jumpstarting our Her Journey series with WISE Executive Director, Pamela Zeller. Pamela has been the WISE Executive Director since 2018 and has over 40 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and domestic violence/sexual assault advocacy. Read or listen to her interview below:

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Q: Tell us about your background.

A: I have been working in nonprofit since I was in college, so that's well over 40 years. The overwhelming majority of my time has been spent on working with victim/survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. I also have a background in helping create dual-language charter schools, working with other indigenous and BIPOC communities and immigrant and refugee communities.

It's very important to me that I am able to be creative in any position that I hold. WISE, along with the amazing team of co-workers that I have, has continued to provide that opportunity for me.

Q: What are some challenges you've faced in your work?

A: There's an overwhelming need no matter what area I've worked in; recognizing that you can't serve everyone who has a need for your services; finding fund, certainly, to fund those endeavors. Oftentimes facing things such as institutionalized racism, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiment has also been difficult.

When there is an enforcement of laws that are meant to protect the marginalized communities I serve, that's also challenging.

Being fluid and flexible in order to respond to all the changing dynamics and needs can also be challenging.

Q: Share some of your triumphs and successes.

A: I think anytime we are able to provide the services that are needed that's a triumph. When we are able to create social norm change, systems change, have more strategic alliances and partnership; creating a dialogue that continues within the community and also within the philanthropic community about the issues that the people we serve are facing – all those things I would consider triumphs.

Part of what makes that happen is making sure you surround yourself with an amazing, highly competent team; that you try and leverage other resources whether they are human resources or financial resources within the communities you serve; listening to the community you serve [and] getting their direction and their input.

When we are able to create social norm change, systems change, have more strategic alliances and partnership; creating a dialogue that continues within the community and also within the philanthropic community about the issues that the people we serve are facing – all those things I would consider triumphs.

Q: How has WISE impacted you?

A: It's allowed me to continue to be creative in the work that I do, whether that is looking at program design, looking at funding sources, looking at strategic alliances, the creation of a long-range strategic plan, and continuing to have that vision – it's very important to me that I am able to be creative in any position that I hold. WISE, along with the amazing team of co-workers I have, has continued to provide that opportunity for me.

Watch Pamela's Interview:

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