Meet Njeri Berkley

Meet
Njeri Berkley

Program Associate

njeri.berkley@groundworkcenter.org|231-486-0530 x703

“Being of service to my community has always been important to me,” says Njeri Berkley, Groundwork’s Program Associate. It was an ethic her high school planted the seed for by organizing volunteer opportunities all year long. Njeri found the experiences so rewarding she wove community volunteering into the fabric of her life. One of her earliest volunteering experiences remains one of her most enduring: spending a cold overnight outside to raise awareness about homelessness—and to better understand it herself.

As Program Associate, Njeri brings essential organizational skills at an exciting transformational time for Groundwork. We’re heading into our second quarter century, and Njeri will be building internal systems to track project progress, foundation grant reporting, fundraising progress, and other key metrics that guide successful, dynamic nonprofits. “I’ll be working with everyone in Groundwork at some point,” Njeri says. “I’ll be identifying common themes and developing systems and processes designed to make things go smoothly and allow information to be easily communicated throughout the organization.”

When she looks to the task ahead, Njeri is excited most about how her position will give the opportunity to take part in all of Groundwork’s programs and all the various missions. “It’s just exciting to be part of a great mission and be part of a team with values that align,” she says.

Good to know

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Manhattanville College; Master of Public Affairs candidate 2022, Syracuse University, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

In her spare time ...

Njeri loves getting out and about for hiking and traveling, but she also enjoys burrowing in at home to cook and bake. “I’m a big fan of spicy foods, so whatever I’m making, I will probably make it spicy,” she says.

Favorite spots in northern Michigan

Njeri hails from the East Coast and has not yet been to Michigan, but she loves New York’s natural areas, and a favorite location is Bear Mountain State Park.

Why the prop?

“When I cook, this big wooden spoon is my favorite tool in the kitchen,” Njeri says. “It’s just so versatile—it works for everything, not just as a spoon, but I use the end to smash anything, and the handle to roll things out with.”

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