From the Desk of Maureen Smith

August 17, 2022

As the TimeSlips community continues to grow, we’re introducing you to each of our team members and highlighting the work that benefits YOUR creative engagement. From managing myriad details of member requests, creating content for communications, to individual training and large-scale organizational partnerships, these are the faces behind the TimeSlips team. It’s our joy to get to know you, and for you to get to know us!

This week we would like to introduce you to Maureen Smith.

What’s your role at TimeSlips?
I am the new Communications Coordinator! I’ll be managing email communications, newsletters, social media, graphic design, and all things front-facing.

What drew you to working with TimeSlips?
I found out about TimeSlips about five years ago when I had the opportunity to interview Program Manager Sam Goodrich for a podcast I was producing. The excitement and passion she had for this organization really stuck with me, and when I saw there was a position that matched my skills, I was very eager to apply. Additionally, I spent a great deal of time with my grandmother in her last years, and even though I hadn’t been through any TimeSlips training at the time, the concept of Beautiful Questions had stuck with me from my conversation with Sam. Having even a shred of a roadmap eased a lot of discomfort.

What are you excited about with this new position?
The thing that really excites me about this position is how much there is to share. Every organization needs to communicate with their audience in one way or another, but when the foundation of your work is storytelling, it presents the opportunity for much more engaging and interesting content.

What gift would you give the older generation?
I would give the gift of accessible technology. One of the main sources of discomfort for my grandmother was feeling disconnected, but the technology she wanted to learn how to use to keep in touch with her children and grandchildren wasn’t accessible to her. For example, the screen of an iPhone wasn’t sensitive enough to pick up her fingerprints, and the buttons were too small for her to pin-point. The device also required that she remember a password, and she wasn’t able to do that reliably and would get locked out. Lastly, she didn’t feel confident troubleshooting when she was having a problem, so when we would see her, we would spend half our visit untangling a mountain of problems she was having with her internet, her phone, her laptop, etc. There shouldn’t be as many barriers for elders in their desire to connect with younger generations easily.

Describe the perfect day off. What would you do?
I’m a bit of a homebody, so my perfect day off would involve leaving my apartment briefly to enjoy some fresh air and to retrieve a cup of coffee and breakfast, and spending the rest of the day relaxing, watching whatever show I’m currently deeply engrossed in, and catching up with friends and family over FaceTime. I feel pretty fortunate to get to experience my perfect day off fairly regularly!