Barbara J. "BJ" Jones

When I retired 5 years ago I started doing some coaching, consulting and taking on more volunteer activities. My “encore” moment came while serving on the National Women’s Leadership Council. I remember thinking after one of our meetings: “I was cut out to do this,” without even knowing what I meant by “this.” I just knew it was something about taking on a meaningful and fulfilling role to help my community get stronger.

Well, “this” turned into being asked by The United Way of Central New Mexico to serve as an Encore Innovation Fellow, a new program created in partnership with Encore.org. I was paid to work part time with the Center for Nonprofit Excellence (a program of the United Way here).

I helped create a pilot program to embed “encore talent” (people generally over age 50 looking to make a difference in their community) as skills-based volunteers with social purpose, nonprofit agencies.

This fellowship is such a great match to my passion and skills. After all, my pre-encore career had been as a human resources executive in the national security field. Now my encore is helping organizations move the needle on some tough community issues such as hunger, education and self-sufficiency.

I matched a friend and former co-worker with a small agency that helps children deal with grief. The agency needed help with financial management processes and, after about 20 hours of her work over several months, the agency is thrilled with having the built-in capacity to continue the task, while the volunteer has a new passion for the work. Those kinds of stories make it all worthwhile – to be able to play a role in a win-win situation.

We encore-age folks have so many skills, talents and circles of influence that we can bring, to live – not just leave – a social legacy helping nonprofits who face increasing demands with diminishing budgets. Plus, it meets a personal need for meaningful and fulfilling service. I tell my friends “engaging in your community inhibits the aging process.” Try a new experience – you never know where it might lead!

(Upon completion of her Encore Innovation Fellowship in 2014, BJ Jones entered her next chapter as Human Resources Vice President for the Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union.)