By Meghan Mausteller
Leadership comes in many forms, but modesty is rarely a characteristic associated with leaders. Jamey Sheesley of the blog team breaks this mold and reminds us that it takes a lot of strength to lift others up.
When asked how she felt about being named Volunteer of the Month for January, Jamey responded with one word: “shy.” She then shared that, on top of her regular duties as blog associate, she has also been hard at work nominating BTSADV Founder/CEO Kristen Faith for various awards in the Colorado Springs area, including the Colorado Springs Business Journal Rising Stars award.
This response is indicative of who Jamey is as a person. She constantly works to ensure that everyone on her team is receiving the support they need to be successful in their role and recognizes each person for the effort they put forth daily.
Jamey joined the blog team in October 2018 and quickly showed herself to a reliable, thoughtful team member, as well as a talented writer. In less than a year, she moved into the newly-created blog associate role, a position designed to support the editor-in-chief by researching and brainstorming monthly blog topics and helping with team management. Jamey does an incredible job at finding nuanced topics to focus on each month, while also taking the time to get to know every person she works with at BTSADV.
“Working with Jamey has been a great experience,” said Amy Thomson, the BTSADV social media executive assistant. “Not only can her team rely on her to provide guidance with their articles, [but] she also does her best to support the team. She is fun, kind, genuine, and approachable and she has a way of making everyone come away from conversations with her feeling heard, validated, and appreciated.”
As editor-in-chief, I am fortunate to be able to work alongside Jamey. On many occasions, Jamey has supported me by taking on additional duties and stepping up to lead the blog team if I am sick or on vacation. It’s easy to lead a team when you know you have a talented leader working by your side.
But for Jamey, being a volunteer with BTSADV means receiving as much love and support as she gives all of us. “I found my family,” she said.
“[BTSADV] is a place I won’t be judged for my past, where I feel like society judges me.”
Like many survivors, when thinking about sharing her experience with the rest of the world, Jamey worries about doubt, dismissal, and disbelief. She came to BTSADV as a writer to make sure that others know their experiences are valid and that there is a community of people ready to listen and support them along their healing journeys.
“I was at that point once–I needed help healing,” said Jamey.
Today, Jamey feels like she has a strong support system through BTSADV. She turns to other volunteers on her bad days and knows she will be met by someone who hears her.
BTSADV is only able to create change and reach survivors due to the hard work of driven, passionate volunteers like Jamey. Thank you, Jamey, for everything you do!
If you’re interested in volunteering with Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence, visit: https://breakthesilencedv.org/volunteer/.
