Jan Buchler didn’t set out to work for nonprofit organizations, but once she found herself in the field, she knew she’d found her purpose, not just in service, but in connection. From her early experiences as an undergraduate working with families at the Spanish Center to her decades of leadership in community based-organizations, Jan’s path has always been shaped by a belief in the power of showing up, learning from others, and building something stronger together. Jan’s work has never been about going it alone, it’s been about creating spaces where people come together to support one another, exchange ideas, and create opportunities to benefit others. That commitment continues through her involvement with Community Advocates Public Policy Institute’s Membership Network, where she remains engaged in the heart of what drew her to this work in the first place: community.
Experience and Expertise
Throughout her career, Jan brought her skills and heart to the positions she held, such as Assistant Director of the Jewish Community Center and Executive Director of The Parenting Network. At every step, she remained committed to learning from those around her and sharing what she knew in return. After over forty years in nonprofit work, Jan retired in 2013. But it didn’t take long before she was itching to re-engage. “I was squirrely,” she laughs, describing the shift from a 60-hour workweek to full-time free time. There was one organization she most wanted to work for, therefore only one call she wanted to make: to Andi Elliott at Community Advocates.
Jan joined the Public Policy Institute in 2014 as a part-time Contract Monitor. In that role, Jan oversaw the work of those in the community providing services under contracts administered by Community Advocates, most especially the Milwaukee Brighter Futures Initiative. “My sphere was primarily youth work,” she said. With focuses on sexual health education and substance abuse prevention, she “got to be out in the community, driving from site to site, watching fabulous people work with our young people,” she recalls, noting that it felt like the perfect fit. A position she initially figured she’d do for three years, she remained at for over six.
Encouraging Engagement with One Another
Even before her time at the Public Policy Institute, she was familiar with Community Advocates through our founder, Ramon Wagner, who she says changed the way she viewed her work in nonprofits. “Ramon believed that along with providing services to strengthen families, nonprofit leaders needed to develop skills to impact public policy within our community and within our state.” Ramon also built collaborations to address issues because he believed we would all achieve more if we worked together. Coming together as social service professionals to exchange ideas, offer support, and truly learn from one another is fundamental. “Particularly since the loss of the Nonprofit Center, it’s critically important for agencies like Community Advocates to pick up the slack by bringing people together around emerging challenges that community members are dealing with,” Jan says.
When asked if she accomplished the goals she set out for herself, her response: we never achieved our mission. Even when our team accomplished meaningful and impactful work each day, “I never felt we got even close to helping everybody who needed us to be there for them,” she says. This remains one of the reasons Jan became a PPI Member. Through the membership, she is able to stay connected with professionals and advocates in the field who are doing the important work of strengthening our community. Communicating and connecting with one another to make strides toward a shared goal is at the heart of the PPI Membership. When we bring our collective strengths to the table, we create more stories of success.
To learn more about Community Advocates Public Policy Institute’s Membership Network, click here.
