I'm pleased to announce that we have hired Olivia Pavco-Giaccia as our Director of Engagement and Innovation. Many of you may remember Olivia from past Collaboration Conferences. I asked her to send a message of introduction to all of you. She will join us at the November Collaborative Community meeting. Welcome Olivia! ---------------------------- Dear Collaborative Leadership Teams, It's wonderful to e-meet you! Over a decade ago, I attended my first National Girls Collaborative event as a middle-schooler. I was energized by that experience, and it proved to be the first of many where I had the opportunity to connect with NGCP and its amazing community. I continue today to be inspired by your ongoing and dynamic work in support of STEM advocacy and a new generation of young women scientists. I'm thrilled now to be officially joining the NGCP team, and I am looking forward to contributing to an organization whose mission helped shape me. In my role as the Director of Engagement and Innovation, my aim will be to help highlight key aspects of NGCP's mission and message by cultivating connections and support among both new and existing NGC stakeholders and constituencies. I'm also looking forward to growing the presence of our Young Girls Advisory Board (affectionately referred to as "the YoGA Board") and getting more young women and community members as excited about it as I am. In addition to my background as the founder and CEO of a social enterprise aimed to encourage girls in STEM, I bring to this role my experiences in edutainment science media across various digital platforms. You can read more about my background on the NGCP website: https://ngcproject.org/olivia-pavco-giaccia I look forward to working with each of you as I undertake my role at NGCP, and I will always welcome both your input and feedback. In the meantime, if you have any questions, or if I can be helpful to you in any way, please feel free to reach out to me directly: Olivia@ngcproject.org<mailto:Olivia@ngcproject.org> Thank you, take good care, and hope to talk soon! Sincerely, Olivia Pavco-Giaccia Karen Karen Peterson, Founder & Chief Executive Officer The National Girls Collaborative and The Connectory @ngcproject @kpeterson Pronouns: she, her, hers