Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Wilson.
Hi Natalie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I am a servant to my core. From the beginning of my career, I knew I would be in public service and that the nonprofit world would be my life’s passion, alongside my personal commitment to Memphis. It’s funny when you look back and see how you can truly manifest where you want to be and I pinch myself sometimes, that I truly am.
I have been so fortunate to serve alongside such visionary Memphis leaders who have believed in a better Memphis, through transformative nonprofits and public spaces. From the beginning of my career in the healthcare nonprofit sector, in adoption services to finding my passion for youth development through my work with Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis and Girl Scouts Heart of the South.
I later found that my real-life’s work would be honing my love of nature, public green spaces, and parks, for 14 years ago. From childhood growing up in a farming family, It was ingrained that we must protect these spaces, we must conserve our natural resources, and furthermore, must make them accessible to our community: that they will be a driver for creating a livable community, invoking holistic health for our families and creating equitable spaces that will shape us all.
As a nonprofit leader, I found a love for public/private partnerships with our City and County that can support visionary and private investment that impacts everyone. You can find these partnerships throughout our city, but personally, mine came from almost a decade of service through Shelby Farms Park. It was a joy to work every day, to be able to direct and drive a vibrant, equitable park experience in a world-class design.
In 2018, when the board for then, Levitt Shell approached me about a vision for the next phase of development for The Shell, I knew it was time for my personal next step of my career, as the Executive Director for The Shell. Over the past 3 years, I have been fortunate to serve alongside an incredible board of directors and team that have helped me create a strong, sustainable nonprofit partnership with the city of Memphis through the now Overton Park Shell.
One of the keystone projects that we have focused on is returning The Shell to its historic name and roots–as the Overton Park Shell. A nonprofit, powered and sustained solely by local, Memphis investment with a renewed focus on propelling local Memphis creatives. The Overton Park Shell is true ‘Memphis’ Stage’, the HEARTBEAT of our city, nestled in the heart of Overton Park.
To me, my work today is about engaging our community in a beautiful park, with experiences that inspire, infuse positivity, and invoke change.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth road in the nonprofit??? NEVER! haha, Every single day is different, filled with challenges and requirements that I will be flexible, with an ever-present mandate to be a change maker. If I have learned anything through my career, it’s about being willing to be a good listener, ready to learn from others, and finding ways to love, support, and engage others before myself.
I’ll never forget one day, in my career, when I was feeling extremely burned out. A partner said to me a profound statement that I will never forget and will live with me daily, He said, one day, you will look back and not remember how you felt in this moment. He said, what you will remember is how this moment shaped where you wanted to be. In essence, don’t sweat the small stuff, just keep focusing on the future.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
If I want to be known by anything, regardless of my education or expertise, it’s that I am a servant leader. I find my greatest joy in investing in my team, my board, and the incredible partners of my life–both personal and professional. I have been fortunate to be part of some of the most visionary projects of our city and to learn from visionary leaders and philanthropists who have shaped Memphis.
In regards to my work, I work alongside artists and creatives from across our city through the Overton Park Shell. I laugh daily that while I am a visionary, I am far from creative. But, I am fortunate to get to work with creatives who can take vision and make it a beautiful reality.
So, I am most passionate, at the helm, to ensure the strength of public spaces, like The Shell, to ensure there is a business model that has long-term sustainability. The Shell is one of those special places that has survived almost a century of heady times, being endangered more than once, and my specialty is ensuring that 80 years in the future, my work for it today, will ensure it can stand.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Oh, this is a hard one. I think I have such special moments growing up on my family’s farm–running through the trees with my brother and learning to embrace nature.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.overtonparkshell.org
- Instagram: @Overton Park Shell
- Facebook: @Overton Park Shell
- Twitter: @theshell901
Image Credits
Hyde Lake and Craig Thompson
