Meet James, a Literacy Rochester board member who has been serving on the board since last year.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a lawyer at Nixon Peabody LLP, and I specialize in commercial litigation. I was born and raised in Greece, New York. Growing up, my parents stressed the importance of education and using my talents and opportunities to help others. I have always loved reading, especially fantasy and science fiction, and believe that reading can greatly improve our own lives and how we interact with the world.
How did you hear about Literacy Rochester and what motivated you to become involved on the board?
I first heard about Literacy Rochester through the 2022 Brain Game, the organization’s annual trivia fundraiser. A coworker invited me to attend, and as a massive trivia fan, I was eager to go. At that Brain Game, I learned about Literacy Rochester’s mission—to improve the reading, math, English language, and digital literacy skills of local adults. I immediately knew that I wanted to take part in Literacy Rochester’s mission in any way I could and when I heard that the organization was looking for new board members, I jumped at the opportunity.
In what ways do you hope being involved with Literacy Rochester will help shape you personally or professionally?
I love the insight I am gaining in the world of non-profit organizations and other charitable education-based programs. I hope to learn more about effectively serving on a non-profit board and how to better create and apply new ideas that help achieve the organization’s goals.
How do you like to spend your free time outside of work and volunteering?
I just recently started learning to play the piano and spend much of my free time practicing, working in my yard, playing video games, and reading. My favorite series is The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan.
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