The Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region (ADL) is thrilled to welcome Beth Danilson as its full-time regional coordinator. We recently sat down with Beth to learn more about her background, and why she chose to join the team at ADL.

 

ADL: You’ve worked as a Jewish communal professional for many years. What made you decide to join the ADL Mountain States team?

Beth Danilson: I planned nonprofit events for nearly ten years and was ready for a change and new challenges. When the opportunity at ADL opened, I jumped on it because I have always admired ADL’s ambitious mission and its local professionals. I am constantly blown away by ADL as an employer. ADL values diversity, provides opportunities for personal and professional growth, and recognizes that mental health is not separate from physical health. I feel incredibly lucky to work for ADL.

ADL: Who are some of the people that have served as role models for you, both in the area of social justice and generally?

BD: Everyone should read “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” Justice Ginsburg is essentially the reason women can take out bank loans, serve on juries, and cannot be fired from jobs when we get pregnant. She fought and won many battles against sexism in the workplace, in the law, in schools. She is a legend and my “shero.”

 

My parents are some of the hardest working people I know. Serving the community was never just an aspiration; it was essential to their careers and who they are as people. My mother served the community as an emergency room nurse, my stepfather as a fire chief, my father as a judge, and my stepmother as a court reporter. I am blessed to have so many role models in my life.

 

ADL: What is your advice for people who are committed to positive change?

BD: Work hard, be kind, and have fun. Sometimes when the work (or life itself) is difficult, you have to work harder at being kind and incorporating fun. Put one foot in front of the other; the future is bright even when the present is dim.

 

We are so fortunate to have Beth Danilson on the ADL Mountain States team. Welcome!