The Backstory: Mike Rocco, ProInspire’s Bay Area Managing Director
We believe in the power of people. Any nonprofit organization — including ours — is made stronger by the constellation of individuals with unique perspectives, interests, and dreams. You know our title, and you know what we do to help achieve ProInspire’s mission. But who are we as individuals, and what do we do and think about in the spaces between work?
The Backstory is an occasional blog series to help you learn more about our staff. Here, we profile Mike Rocco, ProInspire’s Bay Area Managing Director.
Backgrounder
Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA
StrengthsFinder top strengths: Input, Strategic, Ideation, Relator, Adaptor
Pre-ProInspire: Social sector work and service to others are themes that run throughout my career and my life. My role just prior to ProInspire was Executive Director of City Hall Fellows (CHF), a fellowship-driven program to bring college graduates into local government careers. I have also consulted with local governments, owned a PR firm that provided advocacy services to youth education/training programs and the green tech sector, and, at 25, served as the first Executive Director of the California 4-H Youth Foundation.
Why social sector? Social sector work speaks to who I am and what I believe in, which includes helping the next generation. I was involved with a 4-H youth program while growing up in Santa Barbara, CA. I never had the traditional animal projects, but I was always involved with the community service and personal development side. My early career aspiration was to be a park ranger and educate people about our forests. As a coach for my kids’ sports teams, I was always drawn to the players who needed more encouragement to develop their skills, and to help them see that someone believed in them and that they had a place on the field.
Why ProInspire: Sometimes things are just meant to be. Based on the success of City Hall Fellows in San Francisco, including spawning other Fellowship programs, the City chose to bring our program “in-house” and the CHF Advisory Board decided to shift gears into more of a thought leader role than a program administrator role — which meant they no longer needed an ED to run day-to-day operations. I took a couple of months off to recharge my batteries, and lo and behold ProInspire was looking for someone to take the lead in running the Bay Area operation. The opportunity held many of the same responsibilities as my work for CHF, but with the expanded role and scope with the social service sector, I saw it as so much more. It also gave me the opportunity to refocus on my roots in the social service/social benefit sector.
What does your typical day look like? Multitasking with our various programs, from ProInspire Fellows to our mid-career platform to outreach to new partners and allied organizations. No two days are the same. While this is similar to my previous roles, my work at ProInspire involves a more expanded concept of multitasking. But I’m OK with that — the more things I’m doing, the more energized and effective I am.
Deep Thoughts
What is your personal philosophy? ‘Doing well good, doing good better.’ While individual success is admirable, I think the real value in life is to do good and to serve others. My career and personal life maps to this philosophy. I feel most supported where I am helping others achieve in life.
What does social sector leadership mean to you? It means tapping into the needs and realities of our society — whether at a very granular, community level, or globally.
What advice do you have for social sector leaders? Be true to yourself. Engage in issues that will constantly keep you motivated and that you can tell your children you’re proud to represent.
Lightning Round
When you’re not working to fulfill ProInspire’s mission, we can find you…at my cabin in the Northern Sierras of California playing with my rescue dogs Ashley and JJ, both of whom are English Springer Spaniels.
Something we wouldn’t know about you from reading your resume: I consider myself to be a gourmet chef, from pastries to Asian stir fry to Beef Wellington. I love cooking for friends and family by opening their pantry, fridge, and freeze and dazzling them with what I can create from what they already have in their kitchen.
Dream job: Executive Director of a nonprofit that rescues and protects birds of prey and bald eagles
Morning drink of choice: Starbucks Frappuccino Vanilla Chilled Coffee Drink
First concert: Neil Diamond
Next up on your playlist: Dave Matthews
Superpower: Editing and exactness