Doug's Farewell to the Fellowship
By Doug Palmer
When I arrived at the Foundation in July of 2018, I knew I was taking a meaningful next step in a hopeful career; however, I could not have imagined the extent of the Fellowship’s transformative impact on my life.
After further reflection, I have realized that the most meaningful difference that separates this remarkable program from any entry-level job is the Foundation’s willingness to trust the Fellows to rise to the occasion and complete challenging and meaningful work. There are ample examples of these opportunities from my brief two-year Fellowship in which the Foundation leadership allowed me to broaden my horizons and complete work beyond my comfort zone. These opportunities include:
- Consulting a local youth serving nonprofit
- Publishing reports summarizing giving by philanthropic institutions across the state
- Providing staff support for a local start-up
- Writing and executing an introduction to investments curriculum
It has been these experiences—ones that scared and challenged me—that had the greatest impact on my professional development over the course of two brief years.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work for an organization that trusts me to do meaningful, difficult and challenging work. I am appreciative to have completed this work within a program that invests significant time and energy on training and support. And I am indebted to have participated in this program within a culture that values and provides ample feedback.
With that in mind, I would like to thank the Trustees of El Pomar for trusting the Fellows to do incredible and impactful work. I would like to thank all the senior staff that I worked with for their mentorship and guidance throughout these experiences. I would like to thank all the staff for making El Pomar such an amazing and beautiful place to work. And, of course, I would like to thank the Fellowship classes of 2017, 2018, and 2019 for their support, humor, and friendship.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to remain at El Pomar for an additional year in which I will serve as the Deputy Director of Regional Partnerships and support the Colorado Springs Torch Grants in its mission to attract top ventures and entrepreneurs from the sports and lifestyle sector to the Pikes Peak region. I am excited to have the opportunity to do impactful work while continuing to benefit from the Foundation’s support and investment.
Doug Palmer joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2018 Fellowship class. Upon completing his two-year Fellowship, he remained at the Foundation as Senior Program Associate and Deputy Director of Regional Partnerships. Read more about Doug here.