Skip to main content

Meet the ENF Staff

Jim O'Kelley
ENF Director


Jim shows off his teamwork
and his cooking skills
at the ENF's annual staff retreat
How long have you worked at the ENF?
A little over 16 years. Started Aug. 1, 1997.
What projects are you working on right now?
Well, I’m trying to finish the last of my reviews, which is already long overdue. And I’m following up on some things from last weekend’s Board meeting. And I’m reviewing Impact Grant applications.
What are you doing to celebrate ENF Month?
We’re holding our annual staff retreat this month. I always look forward to that.
What’s your favorite part of working at the ENF?
We have a great team here, and I enjoy working with most of them all of the time and all of them at least some of the time. Okay, that was a nod to the book question below. (Bilbo at his birthday party.) Seriously, the Foundation is the greatest achievement of the Elks organization to date, and every day, I get to help realize the dream of the man who founded it. That’s pretty rewarding.
Describe your average day at the ENF.
The days typically aren’t that average, which is one of the reasons why the job continues to be rewarding, even after 16 years. But I spend most of my time facilitating the Board’s accountability to the public, planning for the future, and trying to make our processes as efficient and effective as possible.
What’s one thing about you that might surprise people?
I have an extensive board game collection.
What book would you bring to a desert island?
Ideally, it would be one I could eat in a pinch, just in case. Failing that, probably The Killer Angels. Honorable mentions to Watership Down, The Secret History, and The Lord of the Rings. Oh, and A Song of Ice and Fire, although the verdict is still out on that series as we await the final two installments.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Labels

Show more

Popular posts from this blog

Seizing Every Opportunity

Reflections from the SAB President By Kat Nakamura 2019 MVS Scholar Hi, Elks Family! I’m Kat Nakamura, a 2019 MVS Scholar currently serving as the president of the Scholar Advisory Board. My time with the Elks has been a transformative experience, not only providing me with financial support for my education but opening the door to a nurturing community of like-minded individuals and remarkable opportunities. My journey began when I applied for the Elks Most Valuable Student scholarship, and little did I know it was just the beginning of a life-changing adventure. Months later, my mom encouraged me to apply to join the Scholar Advisory Board. Initially hesitant, I thought there was no chance of being accepted. Little did I realize that this decision would lead me to one of my most cherished experiences throughout college. The Scholar Advisory Board are the representatives that advise the ENF on scholar relations. Apart from being on the board, members attend the Elks National Conve
Post a Comment
Read more

A Boatload of Scholars, a Busload of Clothes

By: Aditi V. Patel,  2019 Most Valuable Student scholar Last week, I had the pleasure of serving alongside 20 other amazing Elks scholars as a part of the Tampa Elks Scholar Service Trip. I did my research before the trip and found that Hurricane Ian had displaced more than 40,000 Floridians in September 2022—I wanted to do something to help! After landing in Tampa, we got right to work by sorting a busload (literally) of clothing that Tampa, Fla., Lodge No. 708 collected from the community for Greater Pine Island. We organized each item of clothing by size, made sure each item was in good condition, and placed them into bags. Whenever there weren’t clothes at my table, I would shift to another station to help others, and I saw other scholars doing the same. It was amazing to see everyone laboriously working for hours without any complaints, learning names and fun facts as we went. We had dinner at the Tampa Elks Lodge, which is where I had my first genuine conversations with the s
3 comments
Read more

Finding a Place in the #ElksFamily

by Aleah Hahn, Most Valuable Student Scholar Aleah Hahn received a second place Most Valuable Student scholarship in 2018. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2021 with degrees in Biosystem Engineering and German. She is pursuing her master’s degree in Marine Resource Management at Oregon State. In her free time, she likes to cycle, forage and hike. Over my spring break I was able to partake in the 2022 Spring Elks Scholar Service Trip in Chicago! In 2018, I attended the 150 for 150 Service Trip in San Antonio, where we celebrated the Elks 150th anniversary through service. Both were amazing experiences to serve in the name of the Elks. They were alike but also different in many ways.  In San Antonio, I connected with Elks state leadership from my home state of Michigan since the trip was at the Elks National Convention!  I served with 149 other scholars and met many of them. It was a great opportunity to connect with other scholars. The majority of our service was at Haven
1 comment
Read more