Staff Spotlight: Wanda Lewis

WFYI is powered by everyday people with a commitment to trusted journalism, inspiring stories and lifelong learning. We love serving our community as public media professionals, and also love taking you behind the scenes of WFYI's headquarters. Today, meet Wanda Lewis, WFYI Membership Associate.

What does your work at WFYI usually entail?

Entering donations that come in from members, packing up and sending out thank you gifts that members request and sending out mailings when needed.

Do you have any advice for those who'd like to follow in your footsteps?

My advice to people who want to do what I do is to have fun with it. When answering phone calls, have a smile on your face and be very, very patient (even though sometimes that's hard to do). You never know what the person on the other end of that call is going through and how much you can make their day.

I basically look at our donors as family, and handle that phone call as if it was family calling in. When I send out thank you gifts I make sure that gift is wrapped with love and care! You just don't throw it together.

What do you enjoy most about working at WFYI?

How everyone is like family.

When you're not at work, what can you often be found doing?

Spending time with my grandkids, of course, because they are the best!

If you had to take one WFYI program with you to a desert island, what would it be and why?

That's a tricky question... it's a toss-up between The Black Church or the Aretha Franklin Story. Watching The Black Church brought back a lot of memories of my grandmother and mother. From the church hymns, to the ladies wearing their church hats to getting a quarter from my mom and my cousins and I would go across the street after church to buy candy. There is nothing like a Black church!