Entire neighborhoods cannot be changed overnight, but LVTRise continues to make waves in our efforts to revitalize the Las Vegas Trail community. The success of our efforts can largely be attributed to our incredibly hardworking staff. The faces behind our organization have continued to find joy and positivity in their work at LVTRise despite the many challenges of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently with Winter Storm Uri.
We asked each of the staff members a simple question: "What is the most rewarding part of your job?"
Our Program Director Ashley Mortimer said that she values how her position allows her to continually interact with the community and how no days on the job are ever quite the same.
"While that might sound cliché, it keeps things interesting and encourages us to continually grow, not only personally but also the work being done. We are able to receive constant feedback on what is working, what isn’t, and what people want to see moving forward," Mortimer said.
Willie Rankin, Executive Director of LVTRise, said that he values working with public and private partnerships to fill in the necessary gaps along the Las Vegas Trail.
"Seeing a plan come together that benefits the community, having partners come to the neighborhood, and watching families use resources that they normally must travel across town for is very rewarding," Rankin said.
Elida Rocha, colleague of Mortimer and Rankin, said she appreciates being able to talk directly to residents while on the job and form relationships in the community. While each of the staff members answers highlighted different aspects of their job as rewarding, it is obvious that the staff at LVTRise is dedicated to help and bring change to the neighborhood, one day at a time.