May Champion of the Month, Carla Wilson, has served as Rise’s Executive Assistant and Project Specialist for just over a year. Before joining Rise, Carla worked as a mental health therapist in a school-based program, providing therapy to high school students during their school day. After her time as a therapist, she transitioned to an administrative assistant role within the same program, gaining valuable experience that she now brings to her position at Rise.

What Carla loves about working at Rise

Carla is deeply passionate about Rise’s mission and values the opportunity to contribute to such meaningful work. “I’m grateful for the culture at Rise and that I can contribute to Rise’s mission by supporting our leadership and program staff.” Carla particularly cherishes this supportive culture, sharing that she has “felt more appreciated at Rise than at any other job.”

One of Carla’s favorite parts of her job is the variety of tasks she handles daily. “I love the variety of tasks I have in my job! One day I’m helping with a program’s billing tasks and taking notes in meetings, and another day I’m helping with an ice cream social for our life enrichment programs.” Her ability to juggle diverse responsibilities with enthusiasm and efficiency has not gone unnoticed.

Praise from Carla’s colleagues

Colleagues are quick to praise Carla’s performance and dedication. One team member noted that she “truly is a top performer. She consistently takes on new and different projects and is never frightened of a challenge. She’s taken on a few complicated billing processes recently too and is handling those well and improving them for everyone.”

Carla Wilson’s impact

Rise’s administrative office recently moved from our original building in Spring Lake Park, where the organization was founded in 1971, to a new space in Fridley. This feat was largely possible due to Carla’s coordination and oversight.

According to colleagues, Carla’s problem-solving skills and positive attitude have made her an invaluable team member. “During the move, she handled many projects and stayed on top of everything. If she had questions or concerns, she remained positive and solution-focused,” a colleague remarked. Another added, “Carla coordinated so many elements of the Rise Admin Office move so efficiently and handled so many changes, questions, complications, etc. with ease. Everything she handled was done so well, and it was extremely easy to get started at the new office.”

Carla outside of work

Outside of work, Carla enjoys spending quality time with her family, including hiking and visiting restaurants or breweries with her wife and baby. She also has a passion for woodworking and home improvement projects.