Responsibilities

Director of Administration - Joy oversees the day-to-day operations at Mission: St. Louis.  She is responsible for creating systems that help the agency run most effectively.  Her duties include facilitating both internal and external communication and promotion, managing volunteer recruitment and registration, guiding program development and evaluation, event planning, grant writing, and whatever else may come up in the course of a day.

Why I'm involved with Mission: St. Louis

I know that one person really can make a difference.  I've worked with people that are in desperate and seemingly hopeless situations, and I've seen lives changed simply through one person believing in them.  I strongly believe that the values and methods of Mission: St. Louis can effect change.  I believe that working together, people (and churches) accomplish more.  I believe that we are called to serve others through empowering them and building their individual capacity.  I want to see our vision of a city restored come true. 

This may sound crazy, but I also have a heart for organizations.  I've worked with enough nonprofits to know that they don't always run as well as they could.  Just because an organization seeks to do good, doesn't mean they actually are doing good.  So, I went to school and got a Master's in Social Work with a focus on nonprofit management.  I'm not an expert by any means, but I'm passionate about seeing Mission: St. Louis accomplish their vision.  If I can help make this happen from behind the scenes, I'm in!

Family

My beautiful family supports me in these efforts.  My husband, Jeff, and I got married in November 2005 in a friend's living room.  Yes, we eloped - we moved up our wedding because we found the house we wanted to buy together.  We knew it was right, so we went for it - we were engaged 4 months after meeting each other, and married after 8 months.  We closed on our house, got married, and moved in all in the same week.  It was a whirlwind, but we love it.  We wouldn't have it any other way, and have a great story to tell! 

9 months (and one year) later, our son Cole was born, August 14, 2007.  Like any new mom, I could bore you with my stories of how amazing he is!  I'll sum it up by saying that he is the light of our lives, making Jeff and I so very happy.  

What I enjoy

My favorite thing is spending time with my husband and son!  Typically, this means playing with Cole and watching TV - it's the routine, everyday stuff that makes life worth living. 

On the occasion that I find time to myself, I love to curl up with a good book, watch a movie, or get my hands dirty in the garden.  I also love the water - growing up in the South, I spent summers with my grandparents at the lake and going to the beach often.  Unfortunately, St. Louis doesn't offer as many options for being waterlogged, but I seize the opportunities when they arise. 

Where I grew up & what I did as a kid

I grew up in the South and loved every minute!  Truth be told, it still surprises me that I don't still live there, but I find enough sweet tea in St. Louis to feed my cravings.  That, and I live in Jefferson County - I don't have to go far to feel right at home!

My childhood was spent in an Atlanta suburb called Roswell with my parents, Vicki & Ernie.  As I mentioned earlier, I spent summers and many weekends growing up with my family in Anderson, South Carolina, just two hours away.  Waterskiing on Lake Hartwell after my grandfather got home from work was the best!!  I went to college at Furman University in the nearby town of Greenville, SC.  30 minutes from the mountains, 3 hours from the beach, a campus that's more accurately described as a country club - can't ask for much more!     

What you really wanted to know...

I am a HUGE college football fan!!  Any given Saturday in the fall, you can find me watching SEC or ACC games - WAR EAGLE!! 

If there are other fans out there (particularly Auburn and Clemson fans), I'd love to meet you! 

Contact

Feel free to contact Joy via email - joy.clarke@missionstl.org

For general questions about Mission: St. Louis -  info@missionstl.org