We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Seyanna Hitt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Seyanna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Becoming a ‘staff’ member of Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) was not the biggest risk I have taken in my life but it is one of the most life changing “risks” I have taken thus far in my career. When I first joined, I was brought on as a Youth Fellow and contracted for two years. At the time, I was semi-fresh out of my Masters program, doing independent consulting with local nonprofits and navigating life with a toddler and newborn. I had taken a significant amount of time away from the traditional 9 to 5 schedule to complete my Masters of Nonprofit Management and be a stay-at-home mom with my first born. Once I finished my Masters program and had one more child, I decided I was ready to get back into the thick of nonprofit work; I loved it, I was passionate about and had been working for various nonprofits for over a decade. When I came across CCDC at the annual Black Arts Festival, I had zero idea who they were or what they did. At the time, I was looking for a full time job that would support my family. I was not looking to get involved with a disability rights organization. Yes, I am a black woman with hidden and visible disabilities but those disabilities were never central or at the forefront of my identity and vary rarely a concern of mine. However, once joining CCDC and learning about the work they have done, I kind of sat back one day and thought to myself “navigating life with a disability” is a major part of my identity and how I experience the world around me. I say this because I had never thought about what my life would be like raising children as a black woman with a hand amputation or raising children as a black woman with mental health issues related to post pregnancy changes. It was in that moment that moment of reflection that I really became invested in the work of CCDC. Fast forward to the second year of my fellowship. I had revamped CCDC’s youth advocacy program and began to nest way into that role. I expected to be the youth advocacy program director for at least the next 3 years and I was okay with that. Around the same time I was negotiating my permanent position with CCDC, the Development Director position opened. I had zero intention of applying for the position until a few co-workers talked me into it. I thought “hey, why not?”. This is where the risk comes in; I was offered the position and accepted. I saw that this was the most life changing ‘risk’ or ‘jump into the unknown’ of my career because I had always been on the programs side of a nonprofit when I was employed by one and when I contracted, I was always hired to so something specific like write a grant, conduct a SWAT analysis, consult on board development…essentially very specific roles that produced specific outcomes. Now that I am the Development Director at CCDC, I am finding that I am not just writing grants or seeking funding resources but I am integrated into the leadership side, the management side, influencing internal culture, cultivating relationships with some of the most influential people of Colorado and so many other things. I say this is a career changing ‘risk’ because now with all of these opportunities I will have developed the knowledge and skillset within a few years in this position to become an Executive Director. Everyone at CCDC can tell you that when I first joined the team I was set on not going the ED route or even moving to leadership; I just wanted to do my job well, help youth find their voices and enjoy my kids with a comfortable source of income. Now, all of that is possible with the added benefit of being able to learn and influence various parts of an organization that has been a benefit to so many lives. I am honored that so many of my coworkers recognized the potential in me to become an ED one but to also really trust that my contributions to CCDC are for the overall good and sustainability of the organization and them as employees. This is not where I expected to be when I joined CCDC back in 2021 but I am excited for this journey with them as a Development Director.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I initially began working in the nonprofit in college. I was extremely passionate about sexual and domestic violence education and prevention. Anyone who knew me or knew of me, knew that I was force when it came to this line of work; it was a major piece of who I was and how I wanted to show up in the community. I was extremely involved in the Violence Prevention program at Regis University. Some would even argue that that program would not have existed if it were not for my student leadership and investment in developing a meaningful program for students. After graduating, I earned my Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling and then, decided to go for my Masters in Nonprofit Management with a certificate in Strategic Leadership. During the time of earing my second masters I did some independent consulting work for startup nonprofits in the Denver area. I continued to serve as advocate for the community in the areas of sexual and domestic violence while I searched for a full time position with a nonprofit. One thing that I take in pride in when it comes to the nonprofit sector and how we answer the calls of the community is that I am always there to ask the tough questions around equity and inclusion; I call this my secret power. I really began to think about equity and inclusion in my earlier years of working in sexual and domestic violence education and prevention. A lot of the times when we would offer a training it was not accessible or offered in languages that people could understand. So we would have the only primarily Spanish speaking person in the room not receiving the information because we did not have a translator or we would have a person trying to get to a safe place for the night only to learn that the shelter does not have a way to ensure they received the accommodations they needed. It was almost as if there was this underlying belief that people with disabilities or people who do not speak English do not experience sexual or domestic violence being sent publicly to the community by that organization or service provider. This is completely false and efforts need to be made to take a step back and consider the message things like that send to the community and those who might be in need of those services. Those experiences now shape the way in which I lead and work on the person to person level to have some of those tough conversations with the hopes of improving someone’s experience. Being with CCDC has offered my opportunities to have those conversations about equity and inclusion at a systems level and I love it.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Once I entered the space of consulting for startup nonprofits and then, now being in a leadership position at a nonprofit, I had to unlearn the belief that academics and formal training in an academic setting does not prepare you for the majority of what you will experience of the job. I struggled with accepting the fact that not everything I learned in school translated to the real world. I had to practice a lot of grace, compassion and reflection to not only myself but to my clients and how my peers at CCDC. I an thankful for my education and opportunity to received a degree for nonprofit management. However, that educational opportunity is only a launching pad to the experiences and what I have learned working within the realm of nonprofit management.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Given that I have never formally held the position of Development Director before I am quickly learning how vital a strong network with shared values is. In this line of work, connections are everything. I have come to realize how important it is to align yourself with the right people sooner rather than later. When I say the “right people” I do not mean only people who can take you from point a to point b or some who can give you a large donation. I am speaking to the importance of cultivating and maintaining the health of relationships with people who support you and growth. These could be mentors or another person in your specific role at another nonprofit who you can utilize as a resource professionally and at time personally; maybe there is a pattern in their organization that is also occurring you r organization and you need to talk about the impact of that pattern with someone who can relate. I cannot stress how important it is to have those people who will mention your name in rooms that you have never stepped in but believe in you enough to reference you to another person. Your network is and will continue to be a direct reflection of you throughout your time in nonprofits; the world is smaller than we like to believe.

Contact Info:

• Website: ccdconline.org