Meet Estee Smith, the new Healthy Communities Director at NCRC. Estee will be integral in the oversight of workforce development and SNAP program staff activities.
Estee comes to NCRC from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), specifically within PBS KIDS and PBS Station Services, where she was the community engagement manager. Prior to PBS, Estee served as a program specialist at the University of Missouri Extension, providing workforce development services to unemployed and underemployed Missourians receiving SNAP employment and training services.
To help get to know Estee a little better, we asked her a few questions.
Welcome, Estee! What drew you to NCRC?
Since childhood, I have been an advocate of social equity. My mom was an active member of several community groups (and still is), as well as the local teachers union. She took my younger sister and I along to meetings. I’m sure there was the intention behind this, but my passion for social equity grew with me. I have always been drawn to mission driven organizations that use innovative strategies to deliver high-impact services so NCRC was a natural next step for me. I am thrilled to be part of the impactful work that NCRC does with community organizations to create opportunities for economic growth in underserved communities.
What are you most proud of in your career?
I am most proud that I have had the opportunity to be part of mission driven work my entire career. Witnessing the projects that I have developed being adapted in local communities across the country and hearing the success stories of former workforce development clients truly motivates me and fuels my passion for the work. There isn’t a much better feeling than being part of something that positively impacts the lives of others and seeing the magic happen in the process.
What’s your favorite nonwork activity?
I love finding new ways to enjoy any and everything the DC area has to offer, particularly exploring the area’s food scene and museums. I also enjoy cooking and often joke that I ran a “test kitchen” during the earlier days of the pandemic.
