Board Fellows Testimonial: Marie Morisset
Marie Morisset is the Board Chair for Mass Farmers Markets. This interview was conducted on February 13, 2020.
How did you hear about the Board Fellow program? Why did your organization participate and what has been the overall experience?
I heard about the program through referral of someone at the Mass Farmers Markets (MFM) organization. MFM has participated in this program for many years. This is my third year sponsoring the Board Fellows program with MFM. Prior to this chair, there were at least two cycles. MFM has consistently hosted two fellows in a variety of projects such as market operation policy, marketing, website development, market certification program, and strategic planning.
In what ways did the fellow help advance the goals of your organization? What impact does or did it have in the long run?
I have seen [some] very successful projects. One fellow helped with marketing for annual appeal. She created graphics, crafted campaign language, and [wrote] the appeals letter. This helped to free up capacity from staff during the busy end of year season. Another one was for a market manager certification program that was completed over a two year period. One fellow assessed the existing curriculum and customized it specifically to MA. The following year another fellow worked on the implementation process.
“I have been very impressed with the quality of fellows we get through the program. They come to us experienced already and supplement our organization with unique skills.”
MFM is very tight on capacity, but with the board fellow program we have been able to move forward on key initiatives where we see direct value in the work the fellows bring forward. I have been very impressed with the quality of fellows we get through the program. They come to us experienced already and supplement our organization with unique skills.
Would you recommend this program? What advice do you have to interested organizations to get the most out of it?
I would definitely recommend this program and encourage other organizations to apply. One word of advice: ensure there’s someone on the staff team to dedicate their time to the fellow. This helps to ensure the fellow receives adequate support and the project moves forward. If there’s ever major personnel transition or organization changes, better to pause the program until the team can devote time to the fellow and the project.
What suggestions do you have to the program and overall process?
I don’t know why other organizations don’t take on more fellows! It would be great if organizations can have more visibility to the pool of applicants and be part of the screening process, and decide if they want to take on other candidates. We need a matching app for fellows!
Questions?
Please email boardfellows@netimpactboston.org with any additional questions or concerns.
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