NW Works in Profile: Adrienne Harris

Adrienne Harris

Meet Adrienne! Adrienne is a Therapeutic Programs Administrator and will be celebrating her 3-year work anniversary with NW Works next month. Adrienne is no stranger to human services as a previous employee at Graydon Manor and ECHO in Leesburg. Adrienne was born and raised in Winchester, and after commuting for over 20 years, she opted to find a job closer to her home and heart. NW Works’ mission had always been familiar for Adrienne, but she wasn’t aware of the finer details.  

As Adrienne has come to know and love NW Works, she reflected on the smiles, high fives and fist bumps that make her job all worth it. “A continuously rewarding piece of my job is seeing our team members come into NW Works every day with a smile on their face, but also seeing empowerment through employment in action. There are so many enjoyable pieces of my job here, but seeing growth and then job satisfaction is fantastic.” For Adrienne, these pieces of her job are priceless, but the icing on the cake is seeing team members earning a paycheck for their hard work.  

Adrienne is a consistent volunteer at NW Works’ two signature events- the Battle of the Bartenders and Farm to Table. When asked about her interest in volunteering, Adrienne stated it’s all about work-place relationships. Adrienne enjoys socializing and spending time with the team outside of work and developing tight-knit relationships that translate to the halls and offices of NW Works. Having a cohesive team is important, and Adrienne makes sure she welcomes staff to the NW Works team regularly. As Adrienne mentioned, developing a team relationship and mindset outside of work transfers to our workplace, but she’s not the only one putting in the work! Employee engagement is important at NW Works, and we have a committee just for it. The Employee Engagement Committee surprised Adrienne when she was a new hire, but throughout her time she’s noticed the group’s commitment to well-being, positive interactions and fostering a team mentality. 

Adrienne is glad to be a part of the NW Works team, support the growth of the adults with disabilities in our programs, and be able to grow professionally. As Adrienne reflected on the rewarding pieces of her job, she noted her opportunity to grow through different challenges and new experiences. Adrienne has been pushed outside of her comfort zone whether through advocating for the people we serve as eligible job seekers, or through supervising an intern and teaching them the ropes. At the end of the day, however, these experiences are rewarding and encouraged Adrienne to grow. When Adrienne is not working, socializing with coworkers, or volunteering, you can find her listening to live music, taking day trips, or spending time with her family and friends.