Cristie Lester

What is your role and how long have you been a part of the team?

I joined the team in May 2021 and was promoted to Director of Development in November.

What would you say is your favorite part of your job?

No two days are the same, each day you're working with sponsors, you're working with donors, and you have your finger on the pulse of what's happening in the area. You never know what challenges you're going to be met with or what opportunities you're going to have to change the outcome for the people who need you most in Southwest Virginia. Working in the development department of UWSWVA offers a very unique perspective, in that, you can have a firsthand look at how your work impacts members of the community. You are representing the organization and simultaneously representing the community to your organization.

Can you tell me about one of the best days at work in your position?

I think for anyone who joins our team, the best day is the first day. This team is so welcoming and we care deeply. I don't think there's one person that works here that doesn't genuinely care about what they do and about those that they serve. On your first day you really feel that love, you feel that compassion, you feel that empathy, and you feel welcoming arms that wrap around you. So I would have to say that the first day is the best.

What is your personal motivation within your role?

Southwest Virginia is my home, it's where I was born, it's where I've lived, and it's where I plan to be for the rest of my life. Southwest Virginia has made me who I am. I've had the opportunity to work here and see my family grow up here. I've seen the way I've seen how United Way impacts lives. I've seen how they step in and change the lives of families. I've seen what happens when catastrophe strikes and how United Way saves a situation that seems so catastrophic that there's no way out and to have the opportunity to be part of, even in just a minor way, an organization that's willing to do that is the greatest honor I'll ever have.

What would you say is your favorite UWSWVA event or program?

That one's easy, Celebrity Bagging. Celebrity Bagging gives the opportunity for businesses and organizations to come out and spend an hour of their time in a team-building situation, where they can have that time to talk with others to share what they do, also promote United Way, and promote a good cause. We depend on the strength of our volunteers and the dedication of Food City Year after year, their partnership or sponsorship, helps us to grow the depth of our programs and our platforms to be able to move our mission forward in a way that we would not be able to do without them. Celebrity Bagging is also just a great example of the power of numbers and how we can help across the breadth of our footprint in one day and have a huge impact.

What are some of your favorite hobbies or your favorite pastimes outside of work?

I love genealogy, so I like to climb my family tree to learn about the past. I like to believe that we have to know where we've been and where we're going. That also helps with my job because I like statistics and I like numbers. I'm also very crafty. I can make just about anything.

What is something that is fun and unique about you?

So I guess what I have found most interesting in studying my family lineage is that you all should not cross me. If you know anything about American history, I'm the 10 times great-granddaughter of Thomas Putnam. In the 1690’s, Thomas Putnam lived in Salem, Massachusetts. He played a large role in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. I have several of my searches trace back to that one line, I have also been able to trace back to 658 A.D.!

Can you tell me about your favorite day in your current position that you've had so far?

I think days when you're able to go to a workplace campaign, stand in front of a group of employees and share with them what we do, and how their gifts matter, are great days. Explaining how anything that they do, whether it's volunteer hours or a monetary donation, their contributions, their willingness to share, and just being in partnership with us helps us move the mission of United Way of Southwest Virginia forward.

Do you have a quote or a mantra that's meaningful to your work here?

I have two actually, one is from the Greek philosopher Epictetus and the other from Gandhi. Epictetus said, “We have two ears and one mouth, so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” The second one is by Gandhi and he said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service to others.”

What was your very first job and how do you use a lesson that you learned in that job today?

So the very first job I had, my mom was a manager. She started teaching me different lessons, obviously, from day one. Seeing someone who taught me the fundamentals of life being in charge of others was a very unique perspective. I got to see my Mom showing new levels of empathy and integrity that I didn't get to see at home. She showed me how to lead with your heart, to be a guiding force, to be strict when you need to be, to treat people the way you want to be treated, but to always realize that there's a reason behind everyone's actions. She taught me that, at the end of the day, you give with a servant's heart. She taught me to be compassionate, to care, to love, and to always remember who I am. She explained that I will always be remembered for how I show up each day to work as hard on the last day as you do on the first. She also taught me to make sure that I don't get lost in the minutiae, that my heart always shows through, and that I should always continue to be a leader that shines through darkness.