Erica Sonnier with daughters and new puppy (photo on flickr)
Erica Sonnier is the “Blog Administrator” at Community Season, the developer a web-based automation tool for community organizations called Rumpus (http://www.rumpusnow.com/). The client base includes park and recreation organizations.
1. What does someone with the title “Blog Administrator” do?
ideas and news with clients, potential clients and other interested parties. I solicit and suggest story
ideas from people on staff. I might assign someone in the office to write a post if I’m not writing it myself. While I’ve written many of the pieces, I invite guest writers, people who we feel can
give something to our clients or the public. I see myself as the point between our internal
teams, and our external blog presence. I have to say, the blog is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. Now I’m even writing my own personal blog because blogs do get addictive!
Our company is currently working on a case study of how 20 or so nonprofits are using our software. We want to know about their needs and how technology providers can better meet those needs. Then we’ll share what we’ve learned with all our clients and the public through blog updates and feature articles on the blog.
2. Are you blogging full-time?
Blog Administrator isn’t my only job responsibility at CommunitySeason. I’m also the office and accounting manager. But Blog Administrator is my fun title!
3. How did you acquire the skills to do this job?
I didn’t have any special training, but I had to learn about blogs and how blogs are evolving in the world of the Internet and nonprofits. All of us were blog novices. I think the best way to master something on the Internet is to just jump right in and get busy. I read different blogs to see what features may be appropriate for our blog site.
4. Why are you interested in the nonprofit sector?
I believe that nonprofits are important to our society. There are many people that need assistance at different times in their lives .Sometimes they need advice, sometimes they need support, and sometimes they need financial aid. Nonprofits help to support our citizens, our government,
and our very social structure. I worked at a not-for-profit hospital early in my working days. At one time, I was the project manager for a silent auction sponsored by one of my employer’s for the National Kidney Foundation of New Mexico. I volunteered to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of New Mexico when one of my friends was an event coordinator with them. My brother has a connective tissue disorder and my mother suffers from several different illnesses. Nonprofit organizations have provided me with detailed information on their illnesses and have brought my family members into the circle to meet and read about other people who may suffer from similar ailments. With all this, there is no doubt about the strength of my interest in nonprofits.
5. Do you think nonprofits should have blogs?
I think that nonprofits should have blogs because people want to feel that they are a part of something. The quickest and easiest way an organization can make an appearance of being “personal” is to create an organizational blog. Reading the personal opinions of staff members, seeing a little bit of the warmth and humor, learning about what they strongly believe in – these are things that people love! People need people, blogs help create personality. Dry, stiff, professional websites have their place… but for organizations that want to appeal to the people and incorporate a sense of community – blogs are the way of the future! Blogs are your online newsletter, coffee break and gossip corner. You can share vital information, create a sense of community, and highlight important needs or considerations all in one place
6. What do you enjoy most about your workplace?
Our company is a fun bunch of people. We wear jeans to work, kick back, listen to some tunes and try to serve our clients the best way we can. We also a bring your dog to work policy. Take for example, Eiffel, the lovely lab of our VP of Operations and our CTO, who is the Director of Employee Relations (http://www.communityseason.com/Company/about/staff.html). But she doesn’t know she’s a dog, so shhhhhhhh! She has excellent benefitslike sleeping during work hours, trips to the park instead of staff meetings, and raises full of hugs and kisses! I can’t wait to bring my new puppy to the office, Boudreaux is a boxer and he’s still learning about the best locations for potty time. So, he’s not quite ready to come to work yet. We have an awesome environment that’s just plain fun to be a part of. We love animals; we love kids; and we love our clients! We don’t love downtown traffic, but hey, it can’t all be good, eh?
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