Staff Interview: Jimmy Rogers

This blog post is a part of the YTH Staff Interview Series, where we are featuring an in-depth Q&A with each member of our staff. We’re chatting with YTH’s newest team member today, Jimmy Rogers, who is joining the staff as our Creative Digital Strategist.

Jimmy found his way to YTH after years of working in journalism, public relations, communications and marketing for a variety of companies that include the Sierra Club’s Sierra Magazine, Insomniac magazine, and for video game companies like Capcom, Warner Brothers, and EA during his time at 47 Communications. He holds a degree in journalism and environmental studies from Western Washington University, which has enabled him to write about environmental issues on national platforms.

Now, as the Creative Digital Strategist at YTH, he works to further the health and wellness of young people by promoting the team’s innovative programs, working with press in tech and health to shine a light on YTH’s goals, writing/editing copy, managing editorial content, and finding new ways to engage with YTH’s growing community.

I spoke to Jimmy about his extensive background in communications, how environmentalism intersects with youth-health, and what he’s most looking forward to contributing to YTH as a member of our staff.

 

ERIN: Welcome to the team, Jimmy! Tell us, why YTH? What made our organization stand out to you in your job search?

JIMMY: YTH stood out to me for a number of reasons. First, who wouldn’t want to work at an awesome nonprofit in the Bay Area that focuses on bettering the lives of young people around the world? Second, the Creative Digital Strategist position here at YTH was a great opportunity to utilize the skills I’ve developed over my career, so it felt like the right step in my career path to come aboard. Finally, I already knew a few members of the YTH team, including Chris Bannister, Jade Lopez, and Jay Lykens who had nothing but amazing things to say about the organization… Given all of that, I can definitely say that I’m happy to be here!

ERIN: You have a very extensive background working in communications, having done everything from writing for magazines, conducting PR campaigns, creating marketing strategies for video game companies, and that’s just scratching the surface. How do you think all of this experience will benefit you in being our Creative Digital Strategist?

JIMMY: This job has given me the opportunity to apply the skills I honed in my previous jobs and focus them on one program and its goals. It will be a great chance to pull back and look at the big picture of our organization and work on planning out YTH’s communications goals for the coming year. I’m really excited about where we can take our projects and am working to find new ways to get them into the hands of the people they were built to help!

ERIN: You have a degree in journalism and environmental studies from Western Washington University. Tell us a little about your passion for environmentalism- how do you see your knowledge about environmental justice aiding you to navigating the space of youth health?

JIMMY: Part of the reason I focused on environmentalism when I was in college was because I knew at the time that it would be one of the most important issues facing our generation. Youth health and public health are similarly huge issues for our time, so I’m very happy to be working to make a positive impact in this new space. Additionally, progressive environmental work tends to come from the nonprofit sector, so coming to YTH definitely feels a bit like coming home.

ERIN: What projects will you be working on during your time with YTH? What are you most excited to learn more about and why?

JIMMY: I’m going to try and have a hand in every project I can from TECHsex to they2ze. Though it is still early, I am excited to continue to learn more about each program so I can work to find new and interesting ways to bring them into the spotlight and to grow our audience.

 

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