Transitions

April marks the beginning of a significant transition: I, Justin, will be starting my process of transitioning off staff here at SSYO.
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For the better part of 8 years, I have served on staff in an administrative capacity. I started as a part-time administrative assistant in the summer of 2013 before going full-time the following year. I’ve grown and gained a lot of experience in my time climbing up to the Operations/Administrative Manager position. I’ve been given an incredible amount of responsibility and trust, especially in the last 3 years, and I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to have served here.

I decided it was about time for me to move on last October. I would’ve wished for a better timeframe than the COVID-19 pandemic but several factors have aligned to make this a productive season for the transition. In the time since, I have been preparing to attend college, aiming to switch careers from administration to information technology (IT). I will be attending Chemeketa Community College in the fall, pursuing a degree focused on information systems and cybersecurity. 
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Moving forward we plan to bring on a new admin and have 3 months of overlap to train and hand off the day-to-day tasks, so that by our new fiscal year, July 1, the new staff member is operating in full and I can step off staff. We have been praying and searching for the right fit since the start of 2021 and are happy to announce our newest member of the team at SSYO! We will let her introduce herself:

Hi there, my name is Sierra Swanson and I am the newest addition at SSYO! It is an honor to be joining the team here and to be a part of the mission to ‘build strong young lives.’ I am a University of Oregon graduate with a bachelor’s in English, and I am passionate about using communications to serve the community. I am excited to learn how to better serve Corvallis, connect those that want to make a difference with opportunities to do so, and to impact the lives of generations to come!

We are excited to onboard our newest team member! Please give Sierra a warm welcome when you have the pleasure of meeting her.
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Thank you to everyone who has supported us and this work throughout the years. I hope that you will continue to support SSYO as it continues to serve our community. Thank you for the opportunity to grow and serve in ministry.

Justin Talbert

Justin is the Operations Manager for SouthSide Youth Outreach. He has served with SSYO for over 7 years. He and his wife, Amber, enjoy spending time together exploring Oregon and finding good eats.