A self described “fundraiser,” Allie Hanson is working towards a better future both in and outside of her daily work life. Her commitment to her community is clear, as both a member of the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) since 2016, and an employee of Teach for America. Discover what motivates Allie to be a #ChangeAgent.
Allie’s Early Life & League Experience
I was born and raised in Fort Thomas, KY which is right across the river from Cincinnati, OH. I am the oldest of four and my family all still lives in Northern Kentucky. I went to school at Western Kentucky University where I met my husband and received my Bachelors in Biology and Psychology. After college, we moved to Louisville, KY where we bought our first home. I received my MBA from Bellarmine University and joined the Junior League of Louisville. We moved to Charlotte in 2016 and have absolutely loved living here! I have an almost two-year-old daughter (Edith) and two dogs (Lucy and Tucker).
The Junior League has given me so much! Moving to a new city with no ties was difficult. I don’t think that we would still be in Charlotte if it wasn’t for the relationships and network that I built through the League. I have met some of my closest friends in the League, along with some incredible mentors, and have had the opportunity to work alongside some amazing leaders in the community.
I feel like the Junior League has given me so much more than I have given in return. Some of my placements have included Transfer Advisor/Chair, Human Resources Council Manager and now the Board of Directors. While I will say that League fatigue can be real, each time that I was feeling stretched, there was always another League member supporting me and picking up the load. I think that is what makes the League so special – it really is a group of women supporting other women, with the goal of helping one another succeed.
The League has pushed me to take on leadership roles and develop skills outside of my career. Without the support of other women in the League, I don’t think that I would be where I am in my leadership or career journey. I have learned so much from other women and have grown in so many areas of my life both personally and professionally because of the opportunities offered by the League.
I believe that we are all agents for change. I see myself and others in the League as change agents, as we look for new ways to do things and challenge the way that things have been done previously. The pandemic has reminded us all that if we do not adapt, we will not continue to be relevant. I love change and truly believe that change is the only constant in our lives.
Working for Change with Teach for America
I was ready for a new opportunity and was looking to join an organization with a mission that is making a positive impact in the community. One of the main reasons I looked at Teach for America (TFA) is their mission of achieving educational equity and their vision that one day all children will receive an excellent and equitable education. The JLC’s current focus on school readiness definitely influenced my desire to be a part of an organization doing this work and advancing this mission. Working for an organization that truly cares about its people and doing good work was so important. I have already been so impressed by the culture of TFA; it is a really great organization to work for.
I’m a fundraiser, so I love that my job is giving people opportunities to make a community impact with their time, talent and resources. I enjoy connecting and getting to know people, which is a big piece of my job. Another piece of my job I enjoy is strategic planning and figuring out how the organization will reach its goals to impact the community we serve.
I am also very internally motivated. If you like personality tests, I am an enneagram 3 (Achiever) and my top 5 strengths on StrengthsFinder are Futuristic, Competition, Responsibility, Input and Achiever. I think that explains a lot about how I stay motivated and my personality. I also have an almost two-year-old daughter who challenges and motivates me to be a role model for her.
Fun Facts About Allie
My friends will not be surprised by this answer, but I love personal finance. I spend a lot of my free time reading, learning and talking about personal finance. I have goals to retire early and I would love my retirement side gig to be coaching and helping others love finance and achieve financial independence.
If I could choose to do anything for a day, I think a day of just relaxing and not having any real plans sounds really nice in this hectic season of life. I love traveling though, so exploring somewhere new would also be my top choice, but it would be something relaxing and fun – I always enjoy days at the beach or in the mountains.
I love being outside. We are always looking for outdoor activities and spend a lot of time on the greenway running, walking, or biking. We love traveling and exploring new places, so we’re always planning our next adventure. I am also a certified yoga teacher and while I don’t teach, I enjoy yoga and (trying to) meditate when I have time. If DIY home renovations count as a hobby, we always have a project going on – right now it is a full kitchen reno!
I also love hiking and a few years ago we hiked Half Dome at Yosemite. I didn’t do a ton of research prior to the hike and I was not prepared for how dangerous it was. It was a really amazing and beautiful hike, but I think I had a mild panic attack when I realized that we had to climb a rock (Half Dome) to get to the top. The hike was also 17-miles round trip and we did it in a day – I was in much better shape then. I’m so glad I did it, but would never do it again!
