Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Hess
Hi Scott , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began with Barrier Free Living over 20 years ago as a volunteer. My journey with the agency allowed me to truly understand the work we do with survivors of domestic violence with disabilities as I have held a variety of positions in various programs. I’m also grateful, through the years, to have worked on projects that allowed me to work directly with tenants of our supportive housing programs, developing a tenant garden club and planning community events. In my role as Director of Communications, I have been lucky enough to work closely with other team members developing our communication committee to connect our staff with the leadership team. In my current role, Director of Communications and Development, I work closely with our CEO Cynthia Amodeo in building our development strategy and creating events like our upcoming June 2 Spread the Love Pride event in New York City (event link: https://givebutter.com/bflspreadthelove)
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say that all growth and change has bumps in the road as they say, but I learned early on to see challenges as opportunities for creative out of the box thinking and ingenuity. Working at a non-profit, and at times facing tight budgets or other challenges, has really allowed me to fine-tune and improve my strategy and collaborative skills.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am very grateful for the flexibility and support I have encountered through the years. Barrier Free Living encourages risk taking (one of our values is “freedom to be creative; act boldly without fear of failure; and be a resource to others.”) and I have been able to practice this value in a lot of different projects. I have been able to truly evolve and grow as a team member in the agency and proud moments range from directing a children’s holiday show at our supportive housing program in the Bronx to working with our CEO Cynthia Amodeo to build from the ground up our current development department.
What makes you happy?
I was married to my husband in New York City in 2019 and our marriage (and the fact that we were able to be legally married in our country) brings me great happiness. He is an amazing cook, and most recently took up sewing. He made me a vest! We also have traveled quite a bit, and our two trips to Delhi India were magnificent!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bflnyc.org
- Instagram: bfl_newyork
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barrierfreelivingnyc
- Twitter: @BarrierFreeL
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIGoaVseLhqV7xk7Y-iY_Q
- Other: https://givebutter.com/bflspreadthelove
Image Credits
headshot of Scott hess:
photo by Eric Bondoc