Joe'Mar Hooper is 3rd Decade's new Executive Director. He joins our team with 20 years of leadership experience in government and the non-profit sector. In his role with 3rd Decade, he will be charged with overseeing the delivery of 3rd Decade's mission, while ensuring the overall health of the organization.
Together, Joe'Mar & Nikita discuss his journey here, the vision he has for 3rd Decade, and some more about his background and how it shaped his passion for 3rd Decade's mission.
Joe'Mar's email is: joemar.hooper@3rddecade.org
Joe'Mar Hooper is 3rd Decade's new Executive Director. He joins our team with 20 years of leadership experience in government and the non-profit sector. In his role with 3rd Decade, he will be charged with overseeing the delivery of 3rd Decade's mission, while ensuring the overall health of the organization.
Together, Joe'Mar & Nikita discuss his journey here, the vision he has for 3rd Decade, and some more about his background and how it shaped his passion for 3rd Decade's mission.
Joe'Mar's email is: joemar.hooper@3rddecade.org
Hey 3rd Decade community. We're happy to have you here. I'm your host Nikita Wolff. And today's an exciting day. I have the privilege of introducing 3rd Decade's new executive director, Joe'Mar Hooper. In his role as ED, Joe'Mar is charged with overseeing the delivery of 3rd Decade's Mission while ensuring the overall health of the organization.
:Joe'Mar comes to 3rd decade having served nearly 20 years in leadership in the government and nonprofit sectors, leading departments and organizations specializing in public policy, finance, public safety and community and economic development. Joe'Mar believes strongly in community service and the power of mentoring, having served on multiple boards, committees, and task forces, and is a founding member of MENTOR greater Milwaukee. He's also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a masters of public administration. I'm excited to have you on with us today, Joe'Mar.
Joe'Mar:Thank you, Nikita.
Nikita:So let's go ahead and start us off with you sharing a little bit about yourself and how you got here.
Joe'Mar:Well, not to be overly dramatic today, but I'd like to say that it was akin to love at first sight. It was really a perfect match when I found out about 3rd Decade and kind of what the organization does and the mission. It just really resonated really deeply with me. And I was super excited to see if this was the opportunity that could work for myself. So I've always believed in the power of education and mentoring through all my work and through the things that I've done in the community. And when I learned this opportunity, I just knew that I wanted to be the next executive director of the organization. And the more that I digged deeper and deeper into what 3rd Decade does, I had the chance to meet with Scott Bennett, the former executive director, and Bob Swift, the founder of the organization. And I just got to see their passion just shine through for this work. It's hard to find two greater cheerleaders, whether they're Dallas Cowboy cheererleaders or Green Bay Packers cheerleaders, than you would find in Scott Bennett and Bob Swift, who really believed in this organization from the start. So getting to talk to them about the organization and just learn more about it really just continued to reinforcing me that this was the place that I wanted to be. So I guess we're fast forwarding a few months and now I have to honor to serve as the next executive- as the current, excuse me, executive director of this organization. I get to work with an amazing team. You and your colleagues are truly amazing. And I get to oversee the expansion of our work as we look to go nationally.
Nikita:Thanks so much for sharing that. I think we all share a similar sentiment. When we found out about the organization, getting the chance to work here, it's just exciting, the prospect of it, and then getting to be here and seeing what an awesome team we have. We are all very excited to have you, you here with us. So thank you. What was your previous work in? How did it translate into your passion for 3rd Decade's mission?
Joe'Mar:Well, I guess, you know, one word can really sum up my, my previous work has been service, so I appreciate the great intro that you gave me. So thank you so much, but I think it all boils down to just trying to have service to the community and give back to the community that, that raised me, the, the, the community that is in dire need of, assistance and just really to be able to elevate our young people so that we can have the best environment that we possibly can moving forward. There's so many issues that need to be solved and lives that need to be saved. And it's always been a thought that I want to figure out how I can fit into the ecosphere to be a part of the service, to get that work done. So a fun fact about me, if you wanna start at the beginning. Yeah. Is that my undergraduate degrees in secondary education. So I had dreams and hopes of being an educator. I was gonna be a history teacher and political science teacher and try to solve the world that way. Eventually helping to be a principal and super intended, fast forward. I am obviously no longer a teacher, but that was something that I really wanted to be then, but I decided that my passion lied elsewhere and decided to pursue work in the public sector and the nonprofit sectors. I've been fortunate enough to work in state and local government. I've worked in school district, as well as administration. I've also been, been able to work in policy and finances I've moved forward in my career, but one of the things that I've always loved doing is just working to figure out how I can develop innovative solutions to solve the problems that we're facing and that the residents in the communities I've lived in have been facing. So that, that includes whether that's trying to increase our efficiency of services for government, which we know can be super inefficient, figuring out we can bring in new resources for community and eco economic development, doing lobbying and advocacy for what residents are saying they need and what people are saying that they really need to be successful and thrive. Those have been the things that I've really tried to dive into as I move forward in my career. So most recently I spent the last five years leading nonprofits, working in affordable housing and services and need to create strong and safe neighborhoods. And that's really been a stream of mine. Lately has been just change, you know, working in service and working to provide change for the, for the community, whether that's change in systems. We have a ton of systems in our country, in our city that has created in equality and that don't allow people to really advance and be the best their best self. So I think I've really wanted to focus in on how we can make some of those, major impactful changes. And, you know, what's really great about 3rd Decade is that it all fits squarely within the realm of change that I'm hoping to work for in my career. You know, we work with young people to ensure they have the financial education and the depth of knowledge to be able to make these strong financial decisions themselves. And it really affects them for the rest of their lives. And in my opinion, this work is vitally important. You know, as the people, that we serve are they've come to age in a time where they've had to experience major financial downturns, housing crisis, and many people, who fit in that 18 to 35 range don't feel that they have access to the American dream any longer. Right. And I think it's to really incumbent on us as, as, as 3rd Decaders to really figure out how we can get that American dream back to them, get them on strong financial footing, see if we can potentially get them back to where they feel that they can start saving and that, that access to the American dream, whether it's home ownership or what, whatever that looks like for them is accessible. So our mix of financial education, mentoring, and guidance, that's exactly what I think these young people need.
Nikita:Yeah, it's so true. And as I know that, you know, when you take care of these things for yourself, that has a ripple effect in your own family and in your community. So it's all part of the bigger picture.
Joe'Mar:Absolutely. It's, it's, you know, each one teach one, we're gonna this, the third decade really works, with the, the very diverse and great population. Those people are gonna be able to take it back to their family and communities as well, too.
Nikita:Yeah. So what was it that prompted you to move to Arizona?
Joe'Mar:Well, couple of things, number one, if I can be honest today, as I mentioned, I'm from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and today it snowed about an inch and a half. So
Nikita:Just that single explanation takes care of the, the answer to that.
Joe'Mar:Pretty much. I woke up scrolling on social media a little bit and I'm like, oh, everybody is complaining. And, really not happy about it's technically spring there, but every, no one's super excited. And the commute to work was not good. And I decided to take the high road and I, wasn't going to specifically tease anybody today about the weather. Cause I think it's super beautiful here. I don't know it's gonna be the eighties or whatever today, but so that's one reason. But most importantly, you know, when chosen has the executive director of third decade, you know, Arizona is, is the location where this organization was birth. And although we plan on being a nationwide organization, once we continue our expansion, I think it's important for me to have solid footing in Arizona, you know, so I understand the history of where our organization and continue to make lasting connections to our work. We continue to grow here and this,
Nikita:Yeah, I know we're all happy to have you nearby too. Most of our staff is in Arizona, living in different cities, but still drivable distance. And it's nice having you nearby enough that, that we can see each other semi-frequently outside of zoom. Absolutely. So how do you see third decade shaping the future?
Joe'Mar:You know, as I mentioned, our work is vital and it's our stated goal as an organization to serve over 10,000 young people in the next five years. So once we're able to accomplish this goal, our past and current results definitely show that we will have a major impact upon their lives. We're gonna see more and more young people begin to start saving, dig out of debt, begin to understand and grow their net worth, understand student loan concerns and hopefully become homeowners and valuable members of society. You know, millennials, gen, gen Z folks have taken so many hits, as I mentioned, and this is coming from a gen Xer, right? But they, you know, millennials and gen Z are the future of our country. And if they're not stable and don't have the foundation for financial success and empowerment, I really don't know where we're gonna be headed as a nation. I also see the organization continuing to grow in a sustainable manner organizationally, as we continue to be hopefully the best place to work in America. I think that that's something, a goal of ours. And, I think we have a solid foundation there and I wanna continue to grow that. And at the same time, I think we wanna work to ensure that we are serving in economically and racially diverse group of young people throughout the country as well, too. That's vitally important that we are able to see this rising tide lift all boats. And if I can dream for one moment, I want third decade to be the standard bearer for financial education, mentoring and empowerment moving forward throughout the country.
Nikita:Yeah. I love that vision. And I think the entire country would benefit from that.
Joe'Mar:Yeah. And I think we're really building the tools. We're building the people infrastructure and we already have a great staff right now that I think I can really see that vision coming true.
Nikita:Yeah. And I think even just with the goal of 10,000 participants in the next five years, we know how much further that's gonna reach than even 10,000 because these 10,000 people have children have coworkers. I know it was a coworker of mine that got me interested in investing and started on the journey. And so, you know, that's 10,000 people that are opening up these conversations in their own circle. So it's just amazing to think the impact that even the next five years can have. And beyond that, it's even more exciting.
Joe'Mar:Definitely. It's an exciting time to be working at third decade.
Nikita:Yep. So I would love for our audience to get to know a little bit more about you personally, would you be willing to share a little about your own background?
Joe'Mar:Yeah, absolutely. So I, as I mentioned, I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. it's a very interesting city, a lot of great things that go on in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, summer Fest, world's largest music festival and there's, right on the, the great lakes as well in lake Michigan. But it's also a city that's consistently been ranked as the worst city for African Americans. So, which is a dubious distinction. There are huge achievement gaps in education, income, incarceration, and not to mention being the most segregated community in the nation. So there's lot of challenges in the, in Milwaukee, and what that all boiled down to is it really equated to me, not really feeling like I got the education that I needed a personal finance in high school and not truly having access to mentors at a younger age, either that I know have imparted some knowledge in me, such as what we do at their decade. I struggled a ton in trying to make the right financial decisions as an adult. Funny story. I still remember opening my very first credit card in college, freshman year. It was a discover card. I had a$3,000 limit and I think I had a 25% interest rate. Oh, And yeah. Guess what I did. I ran right to Eddie Bower. That was the, the place to be back in the late nineties, ran right to Eddie Bower and charged it up. And I, you know, had no regrets at the time. Cause I didn't know really anything about credit. No one had taught me that at the time. Yeah. so that's just an example of, I really learned all my financial lessons, the hard way in my twenties. But I was really fortunate to be able to acquire some of that knowledge along the way, dig myself outta trouble. And as I proceeded in my twenties, just really get back on a solid footing as well, too. You know, I definitely, as all this really means I wasn't really born with a silver spoon in my mouth, maybe a wooden one, but not silver. And I just can't help, but think where I would be. If I, there was a third decade around when I was younger to help work with me. But more so on a personal note, you know, what is, what are some things that are, are interesting about me is that, I love golf. I am an avid golfer. I am a terrible golfer though. But it's just something about being outside and enjoy golf, having a good time with the buddies, but I just, I'm trying to get better.
Nikita:I love that though. So many people think they can't for taking a hobby if they're not good at it. And I completely disagree. So I love that. You're like, I'm bad and I do it all the time.
Joe'Mar:Oh yeah. You just, you know, that's the only way to get better. Right. You know, it's the, the 10,000 hour theory I probably have, haven't played golf more a, a 2000 hour hours. So I still have 8,000 ahead of me. Also, you know, you know, I know older people get to write it for this, but I'm also an avid lover of PlayStation. So I'm oftentimes in the PlayStation or playing switch with my, my daughters. You know, I'm a, I'm a husband, I'm a father to a sophomore in college and a junior in high school. So the empty nest is right around the corner too, you know, and I like to spend time with them whenever I get the chance, whenever they let me, have the chance to spend time with them. Yeah.
Nikita:We all know how teenagers are.
Joe'Mar:Oh yeah.
Nikita:So is there anything else that you'd like to share before we sign off for the day?
Joe'Mar:Yeah. I just wanna say I am so bullish on this work that we have ahead of us. You know, we have amazing partnerships that have already been developed. I have an amazing staff. We have a great team. We have amazing, environment and community. That's just ready for this, for this work, ready for us to really dive in and impart the knowledge and the young people that we're gonna be working with. So I just, I can't, can't say more than I'm just super excited to be here super excited for the work. And I'm excited to dive in.
Nikita:Yeah. Likewise, from all of us. I'm sure. Thank you again for joining today on the podcast and we're excited for the future ahead of us and excited to have you on the team alongside of us.
Joe'Mar:Thank you, Nikita
Nikita:Thanks for tuning in and sharing your time with us. If you'd like to reach Joe'Mar directly, you can do so at joemar.hooper@3rddecade. org, and have a great week!