What Inspires You?

The diverse work of The Pew Charitable Trusts requires a staff with a range of talents, skills, and experience. But what each staff member has in common is a dedication to the organization’s mission of supporting policy improvements that help people and communities thrive. As the institution marks its 75th anniversary, we asked staffers what inspires them to work at Pew.

Shannon Shipman

Operations senior associate

"My job sits at the intersection of a lot of teams, so I get to collaborate with a lot of other folks who are incredibly intelligent and skilled at their jobs. Through that experience I’ve learned that Pew embraces who I am. I’m accepted, I’m encouraged, and it’s a really supportive environment that I appreciate.”

Richard Friend

Art director

"I love my job because I get to do really good work for a really good cause. Here everyone has mission-driven work, and we’re all on the same page working towards the same goals, and that’s very refreshing.”

Alex Booker

Project management and support associate manager

"I get to learn something new every single day. I get smarter every single day. I feel like I’m in a community where everyone is not just looking out for one another but is also trying to build everyone up."

Deanna Richards

Antibiotic resistance project manager

"I love that Pew is an organization that champions innovation. The world is facing a crisis with antibiotic resistance, and we’re able to look at it in a new perspective when we have different innovative ideas.”

Justin Theal

State fiscal health project researcher

"Family members and friends ask how government budgets could ever be rewarding. The truth is, budgets are where the rubber meets the road with public policy. I know that my work matters.”

Yasmin Velez-Sanchez

Inclusive community engagement senior officer

"Being able, at Pew, to work on DEI issues and to help bring in inclusive practices and make the workplace more equitable, it just brings me a lot of joy because it means that I am doing something to change the conditions for people like me in the world.”