01/30/2026
๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ง๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ!
Today we are celebrating ๐ง๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ, who is marking her first year at Independence, Inc. as our Director of Community Relations. Tonya plays a key role in sharing the story of Independence, Inc. and the people we serve by building community connections, supporting staff initiatives, and finding creative ways to highlight the impact of our work. From marketing and social media to events, outreach, and partnerships, Tonya helps make sure our mission is visible and understood throughout the community.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ง๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎโ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐๐ป๐ฐ.!
1. ๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐, ๐ฐ๐๐., ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐?
I always like to say that I have the fun job. I get to watch the people I work with make a real difference every day and then tell that story. I am constantly inspired by the incredible group of people I work alongside, and it is truly an honor to see how their work positively impacts the people we serve. My role focuses on telling the story of Independence, Inc. and building connections that strengthen our mission. A typical day might include creating marketing and social media content, planning events and outreach, meeting with community partners, supporting staff initiatives, and finding creative ways to highlight the voices and experiences of the people we serve.
2. ๐พ๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?
One of the most impactful and unexpected skills Iโve learned this year is conducting ADA accessibility inspections at voting locations. It has completely changed how I see the world around me and sparked a deeper passion for accessibility and advocacy.
3. ๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐, ๐ฐ๐๐.?
Honestly, so so much! Iโve been fortunate to do a lot of things Iโve loved in my life, and I did not realize this kind of work was something I was missing until I was here. I am excited to keep learning, to keep showing up for the people we serve, and to continue advocating for real change. Now that I have a year under my belt and feel more comfortable in the role, I am really excited to dig in and see what we can build together.
4. ๐พ๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐?
This one made me laugh because Iโm realizing Iโm more of an open book than I thought. One silly thing coworkers might not know is that I can identify most all of the stateโs license plates before getting close enough to read them (and Iโm overly proud of it while on road trips with the family).
5. ๐พ๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?
I really love family time. From Mario Mondays to tabletop Tuesdays and planning whatever is on the weekend agenda, that is what helps me unwind the most. I also love exploring new foods and restaurants with friends and family. I genuinely enjoy planning things in general, whether it is meals, trips, or game nights. Give me my couch, my laptop planning something fun, and a glass of wine, and that is my happy place.
