Today we’d like to introduce you to Christen Lubbers.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Just a girl who loves all things Cincinnati: our buildings, our sports, our beer, the nature we can get lost in, our food, and most importantly: the people that bring it all to life. You can find me cheering on one of our Cincinnati teams most weekends unless I’ve decided to run off into the wilderness or escape to the other side of the world for a bit. I was born and raised in Covington and have worked in Cincinnati since I graduated from NKU. I’ve worked for a number of non-profits in the area and believe in living a purpose-driven life that elevates the people and places around us. I’ve been fortunate enough to live or study in 5 countries, and travel to an addition 20-something in the past 15 years, helping me to understand ways in which we can improve upon this great city and why it is such a worthy place to continue to fly home to. I’ve also volunteered for GreenHeart, an international non-profit that gave me the ability to speak about how incredible Cincinnati – is both in Washington, DC while addressing John Kerry’s administration and in Berlin, Germany at an international summit where I represented the city and our country on the Global Leaders on the Rise panel.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I always had a lot of trouble as a student – my grade school tried to kick me out, I almost dropped out of high school to get a GED, and I didn’t start realizing my worth until I was in undergrad at NKU. I was meeting people who saw something in me that I hadn’t yet seen and people who gave me a chance. I was in leadership roles and finally felt like I could have a great future that would make a positive impact on the world. After graduating, I fell into an organization that was much like the people I was surround by as a kid – they didn’t appreciate my unique ideas or my leadership qualities – that’s not what they were looking for. I was fired from my first full-time job and I knew I needed to follow a different path and start surrounding myself with people who believed in me – and ignore anyone who didn’t.
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens miraculously hired a girl with no animal training experience and no biology background – just a very sincere concern for the environment and its inhabitants. My life has made a beautiful upward spiral since my first day there. That experience led me to pursuing a master’s in biology from Miami University. I not only thrived in that classroom setting, I graduated Magna Cum Laude – take that, high school biology teacher who gave me a D-! One of the educators I worked with at the zoo recommended me to the AFC when they were looking for an admin to work about 10 hours a week. When I took the position, it was my 5th part-time job while working towards my master’s degree. After 8 months in that position, I was promoted to Education Director in a full-time capacity where I oversaw the most robust architecture-focused program in the country and which serves about 2000 students annually. Being with the AFC was like finding my calling: a purpose-driven profession where I was trusted and listened to. After a few years in that role, I was asked to step up to Executive Director of the organization and I have remained in that position since the beginning of 2019.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As Executive Director of the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati, it is my job to create appreciation, awareness, and education surrounding the built environment in the Cincinnati area. Whether that be creating understanding around why a historically significant building should stay standing and why we should invest in our history – or teaching students about professional roles in the built environment: the trades; architecture; interior design; engineering; construction; and anyone else whose work makes an impact on our buildings and structures – we strive to create understanding and excitement around the possibilities of sustainable building and how we can use it to make the world a better place for all of us. It’s an honor to have this position, and I take the responsibility very seriously…
To me, it feels like my work can be summed up by attempting to make Cincinnati, my favorite city in the world, a little bit better – primarily by elevating students who may not feel empowered otherwise.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
To be incredibly successful at anything, you need to surround yourself with the right people. For me, success is doing what I love while making a positive impact. I am intentional about surrounding myself with people who believe in my ability to be successful and who want to help me along the way.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have strong females in my life that have always shown me that being a woman is a position of power. These women have given me opportunities and taken chances on me throughout my career. They have also given me room to make mistakes while being ready to help me correct them. Without their guidance, I would not be where I am today and would not have the confidence that they have helped me find.
It is my belief that if you are lucky enough to have people in your life that lift you up, it is your responsibility to turn around and pull someone else up. I’ve had a lot of people helping me along the way, so I’ve got a lot of work to do.
Contact Info:
- Email: CLubbers@architecturecincy.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clubbbs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christen.lubbers
