Buffalo Rising is a lot of things to a lot of people. Itis a news source, a place to debate, a place to grow ideas, and a place to celebrate Buffalo.
With this posting, Buffalo Rising also becomes a place to grow re-pats. You know how ex-pats (ex-patriots) are those who have moved away? Well, re-pats are those who return. Iim one of them and when my husband and I moved back, I made a vow to help repatriate as many former Buffalonians as I could. With this posting, Iim taking the next step in making good on my promise. So here goes:
Nicole was born and raised in Buffalo. 2000 was a life-changing year for her: she married Drew and moved to his hometown of Chicago. After about a year, Nicole discovered that she really missed Buffalo. She realized that she needed to be home.
Her longing for Buffalo was the beginning of a quest to stay connected with her city. She found websites for Buffalo Rising and Revitalize Buffalo, but instead of making her feel better and more connected, they made her feel worse, because they made her realize that the need went both ways. She needed Buffalo n and she felt in her heart that her city needed her. She says, iI knew from that moment that I was going to contribute somehow – to make Buffalo a better place, the place I know it is in my heart, the place it should be to others. I needed to give back to the city that I call home. I NEEDED to be there, to be involved in making Buffalo a better place.i Now she didnit just miss her city; she had a personal crusade.
She introduced Drew to Buffalo Rising and told enticing tales of the Buffalo she loved. Eventually, her mission was successful: she persuaded her native-Chicagoan husband to move to Buffalo.
Nicoleis coming home n and sheis bringing Drew. Theyive found a home; now they need to find jobs. This is where you come in n and this is where the whole growing re-pats thing becomes reality. Right now, someone is reading this just before placing a want ad. Keep reading and see if either Nicole or Drew is the employee of your dreams.
Buffalo, meet Drew Crumbaugh:
Ideally, I would be looking for a marketing/communications position. I have great interest in the field, with experience doing freelance communications and graphic design work for smaller nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area (I have a sample or two as PDF files if necessary). While my communications and design work have tended more to the print side than electronic, I do have a bit of experience with web design and would be interested in doing more in that arena.
I also have significant experience doing corporate fund-raising for larger nonprofit organizations and I would be open to such work in the future, both with larger United Way-type non-profits and smaller community organizations or other human services agencies. I enjoy working with and for non-profits and feel my skills and experience fit nicely in that area.
My more recent job experience lies in inventory management/control, and helping design and implement systems to do such. I would be open to this type of work, as well. My experience in this field ranges from inventory control for a large global fiber-optic telecommunications firm to (more recently) with a medical device distributorship in the Chicago area.
I have excellent communication skills, excellent attention to detail, and greatly enjoy seeing projects I’ve started come to fruition. I am an excellent team player and would rather work in a small, cohesive environment conducive to teamwork (ideal company/office size: maximum 50 people), than for a mega-corporation. That being said, if there is a position at any size company that fits my skills, interests and experience, I would be open it.
And, you might remember Nicole Crumbaugh as an avid commentor on the site:
I’ve been in retail management for 12 years. I’m currently a Store Manager for a large box fabric store. My degrees are in Health Care Office Management (Associates) and Business (Bachelors).
Being creative is extremely important to me – whether it is problem solving, visual impact, or developing plans – I love to be challenged. My skills are: management, sales, marketing, merchandising, operations, inventory/audit, evaluating and making decisions based on a P&L report, guest service, training, human resources (hiring, firing, recruiting, and miscellaneous HR functions), conflict resolution, team building, time management, and basic computer literacy (MS Office, AS400).
Nicole concludes, iI miss EVERYTHING about Buffalo. And I mean EVERYTHING. The food. The commute. Reasonable real estate/rents. The architecture. The ‘small town’ feel. The friendliness. The weather. A sports town that cares about hockey. Most of all: my family. I am tired of missing out on every family event and feeling like a lifetime has gone by. The people of Buffalo are the best in the world and I canit wait to be home.i
So, Buffalo Rising readers: Letis help these re-pats. Do you have (or know of) an opening that would be the perfect fit for Nicole or Drew? If so, please e-mail Nicole at nrcrumbaugh@buffalo.com. The two are also going through other channels as well, I just thought that it might be a nice welcome home if they knew that they had secure jobs when they arrived. If this works maybe we can help others find their way back to Buffalo too!
Weire making repats n and weire making history.