Meet Ruby:
I am a Claims Support Operation Supervisor at Nonprofits Insurance Alliance. I am the mom to a 13-year-old son and I have a 24-year-old bonus daughter (who just moved to Korea), who are my absolute favorite humans. They are both half-Moroccan (which is a beautiful country that I highly recommend visiting).
Where are you from, and where do you live now?
I have a rather unique upbringing: I was born in a yurt right above the ocean in Big Sur. (I have hippie parents that met at Esalen in the ’70s.)
I grew up there in various places, mostly on the South Coast near Gorda and Lucia (for those familiar), where I graduated from a very small K-12 school with a graduating class of two people.
Ruby meets NIA:
How long have you worked at NIA?
I started as a temp in September of 2021, and I came on board as an employee in December of the same year.
What did you do before that?
Prior to working at NIA, I was a sales and events manager at a family-owned hotel in Aptos.
Ruby P. enjoying time in Morocco with her two kids.
How did you come to find NIA?
I was recruited by a temp agency after the previous business I worked at was sold, and they sent me the job posting.
I was very happy as I was primarily interested in working at a nonprofit, for culture fit — or a county/city job for the benefits.
Ruby’s NIA Career:
Tell us about the growth of your career at NIA.
I was recently promoted to Claims Support Operation Supervisor. I had no idea the promotion was coming, since I had only been here for just over a year. But it felt great, having my work recognized in that way.
Do you like working remotely? How often do you go into the office?
I love that I have the flexibility to work from home when needed. As a single mom, that is a lifesaver, but I also find work from home days can be very mentally restorative.
I currently work one or two days a week from home, the rest of the days in the office.
Do you feel you have a good work/life balance?
Yes! There’s a lot of encouragement to have a good work/life balance and I appreciate that.
Are your ideas heard and acted on? Can you provide a short example/story?
I think there are a lot of opportunities for all employees to have their voices heard, and every project that I have been a part of, I know that my input will be heard and valued.
Have you taken advantage of any of the continuing education opportunities that NIA offers?
I have not, but I have someone on my team exploring some options and I think it’s a great benefit.
What is your favorite thing about working at NIA?
I love working somewhere that I am proud to represent.
I love to tell people the story of how our CEO had to fight to be able to represent and support these nonprofits, that we are working hard to help our members and look for coverage rather than looking for ways to decline claims, and that we fight for and support environmental regulations.
Do you feel supported and respected by the people you work with?
Absolutely, 1000%. I have never worked in such a supportive and caring environment where I feel so appreciated. Everyone here is wonderful, and I have the best boss I’ve ever had.
Ruby P. with her “bonus daughter” who recently moved to South Korea.
Ruby’s Impact:
Can you tell us about some of your favorite/memorable nonprofits that we work with?
I love when I run across a local nonprofit that I’m familiar with, knowing that we support them. It makes me more aware that all of our nonprofit members are parts of larger communities that we are supporting.
How has your work at NIA affected your life and/or community involvement?
I love that NIA encourages volunteer work and, as part of my growth plan, I have the option to volunteer at local nonprofits.
So far, that hasn’t fit in as I’ve had other growth tracks take priority, but knowing that is great, and it makes me proud of the previous fundraising work I’ve done for a local cystic fibrosis nonprofit.
