Staff Spotlight: Leticia Paige
Today, we’d like to shine a special spotlight on Leticia Paige, who was hired last month as our new Program Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters. She brings over a decade of nonprofit experience to her new role, and we are thrilled to see where she leads our team.
Leticia, although born in Chicago, grew up here in Fort Wayne. After graduating from New Haven High School, she earned her degree at Purdue Fort Wayne in biology with an associate’s degree in chemical methods. It was the natural route to take for this self-proclaimed “science buff.”
Leticia dedicates her free time to her family, whether that’s her 3 adult children or her parents. As a very creative and crafty person, you might also find her working on a project or researching new and exciting hobbies (recently, she has been learning about shoemaking!). But if you’re looking to connect with Leticia, you might want to mention Star Trek to this “Trekkie” fan!
Although Leticia has only been with our agency for 2 months, she brings 11 years of experience in the nonprofit program realm from her previous employment at the Boys and Girls Club. As Art Director, Leticia put her science-based background into action, developing a STEAM program to bring computer coding, engineering, physics, and more to youth in their programs.
However, as she succeeded and moved up in the agency, her role became more managerial, which she found out she really enjoyed! Looking to further her administrative career, she felt the position of Program Director at BBBS was the perfect next step for her life.
What drew you to your position as Program Director here at Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Leticia: Where I’ve been transitioning in my career is less from dealing hands-on with the kids and dealing hands-on with the activities, and more dealing with staff.
So, this position gave me more of an opportunity to be able to focus on that.
…I really like that part of building staff and getting their ideas, looking at what it is that they want to do, and pulling that out of them and allowing them to really flourish in whatever they’re doing in their positions.
As our new Program Director, Leticia will manage 3 team leads at the agency: Match Support, Big Futures, and Match Activities. Although she’s only been on the job for 2 months, Leticia already has a few goals in mind for her work here. One of these goals is to bolster the agency’s after-school program, putting her expertise in that area to use. Beyond that, she has a vision of growing the department and facilitating career growth for those under her direction.
Do you have any insight into how you grow your team as a manager?
Leticia: Well, you have to talk to your people. You’ve got to really dig into their ideas and learn what they’re wanting to get out of the job and where they see themselves growing in the organization. And then, as positions open up or availability shows up, allow them to step into those roles and really take it upon themselves to grow into it.
Not having worked here before, Leticia knows she will have to rely on her team, especially because they are the subject matter experts in our programs. She sees her role as that of facilitator, allowing her team to take ownership of their goals and problem-solve optimally.
She has a few words of advice for new managers in similar positions:
- Grow trust both ways
- Don’t overpromise, but keep your word
- Listen to your team FIRST
This problem-solving approach she takes to her role is something she’s learned through her long-standing experience in the nonprofit world, where materials and equipment may be limited. However, this is also wisdom passed to her from her own mentor, her father.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your mentor?
Leticia: To make sure you pack your ‘toolbox’ and always be ready to pull it out.
‘I have this problem, and I don’t know how to fix it.’ But I have a toolbox, so we’re gonna pull out whatever we got packed in that toolbox and figure out this problem and come up with a solution.
Leticia’s long-standing experience in the nonprofit realm has given her depth of knowledge on what keeps a nonprofit running—and what keeps employees happy and successful in their field. Buy-in to the mission is very important for those who want to work in the field long term. She also points to sticking to the way things have always been done instead of looking for new and innovative partnerships as a barrier to success. But there’s one other thing Leticia believes sets an organization up to flourish: positive community relationships fostered through exemplary customer service.
As someone who has worked extensively with nonprofits, and specifically with youth development organizations, what’s the biggest lesson you have learned over your time?
Leticia: Relationship is key. You have to be very cognizant of how you deal with anyone because the make-or-break is word of mouth… So if they leave the situation with a bad taste in their mouth because of you, then they leave the situation with a bad taste in the mouth for the organization.
So they’re gonna go back and talk to their friends, their neighbors, their people at church, about whatever the outcome was, whether they felt bad or whether they felt good after everything was said and done.
Leticia looks forward to helping her teams make positive imprints through the work they do—whether helping kids prepare for their futures, supporting youth and volunteers through casework, or hosting fun activities.
What kind of impact do you see Big Brothers Big Sisters and other nonprofits of the area having on the youth of Allen County?
Leticia: When you work with them and their families, you’re gonna leave an imprint on them. And hopefully it’s a positive one. And it may be because of their interaction with you…
The point of the youth development nonprofits in Allen County is to grow our children to be the well-adjusted adults that we all hope they are, and we can’t all do it by ourselves.
Knowing the difference a mentor can make in a child’s life, Leticia is excited to dive into her new role at our agency and further the mission. And we can’t wait to see where her leadership and know-how guide our programs!
