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Neeraj’s Transition

I have always believed that the culture of an organization is one of the most basic determinants of its' creativity and impact. It influences the kind of people that are drawn to the organization, and so often the kind of people and wisdom that emerge up out of it.

At Nexus authentic and trusting relationships is central to our agency's culture. Like DNA, it lives in every aspect of who we are and how we operate. You can see it in staff meetings, retreats, at lunch, or in the community. You will find that there is as much hardy laughter occurring, as there is hard productive work. It is because we recognize and honor the benefits of knowing and working with each other, making the team more than a group of people charged with different assignments and duties. It makes our relationships both personal and professional.

So needless to say, it is with mixed feelings that I announce that Neeraj Mehta, Program Officer here at Nexus Community Partners has accepted a new job as Director of Community Research with the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Neeraj came to Nexus three years ago. He quickly and fluidly became a key member of the team. He brought with him an exciting energy for learning, a strong sense of commitment to community, and a set of skills that immediately added value to Nexus' internal and external work. These qualities are more elevated in Neeraj today than when he first arrived. All during his time here at Nexus he set high standards for his own development, and supported the development of others. Both Nexus and the community have benefitted greatly from his work.

I also believe that sometimes the work calls for you to extend yourself, even when you are not pursuing change. And when it calls, you have to respond, because you know that call is about something greater than your own personal plans.

Some people work hard to identify a line of work and spend years building the skills to be effective; some people are identified by others and persuaded to pursue certain forms of work because of what others see in them, and they spend their careers trying to fulfill the demand; and for some the work chooses them. Their life is about a natural journey of becoming more of who and what they are supposed to be. With the latter, the work is about fully embracing the call and being the best they can in living it out. Neeraj's path is a response to an important call. Our work with Neeraj has been, and will continue to be, about traveling along with him and creating the spaces and places that foster the best in us all.

So as much as we will miss having Neeraj here at Nexus, we are excited about the possibilities that his new job holds. We know that his work call will continue to be about community, and in that arena we will definitely find common ground. In other words, although he is not here, he really hasn't left.

So please join the staff at Nexus in walking with Neeraj, and wishing him the best in his new endeavors.

Repa and the staff of Nexus Community Partners

 

Click here for the formal announcement from CURA. 

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