As of July 1, SMART welcomed a new staff member to fill a brand-new position in the organization. Pete Rubinas became SMART’s first Organizational Culture Change Facilitator, representing a major internal effort to help SMART evolve in positive ways. Pete says, “As we attempt to be more inclusive of all, it’s critical that we have systems in place that support true inclusion. That’s what I’m focused on.” He also advises Acting Executive Director Christi Alicea and the Board on human resource, financial, and Board governance matters.
Pete came to SMART as a participant in January 2017 and, after training, became a meeting facilitator. In 2019 he added Regional Coordinator to the list of ways he is involved with SMART. He credits the program as instrumental in helping him build a balanced life without alcohol, “I also used the tools to change a variety of other problematic behaviors that were keeping me from being the whole human being that I wanted to be.”
Pete says the most rewarding part of what he does, so far, is amplifying the “voices” that need to be part of all the conversations at SMART. He credits his work running a Montessori school for ten years as something he can draw on in this regard.
Here are Pete’s responses to the Take 5 Spotlight questions:
For all the time Pete likes to spend outside, he is very aware of the internal work he feels called to do, “My mantra as an anti-racist White person is to listen humbly, love deeply, and shift power.” With a powerful conviction like that, Pete is a good choice to help SMART to make progress as an organization in all kinds of important ways.
Learn more about the Take 5 Spotlight series and see others who have been profiled.
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