Get to Know Eileen Speaker of the Placer Community Foundation
Feb 22, 2017 11:17AM ● By Amber Foster
Eileen Speaker grew up in the Bay Area but moved to the East Coast in grade school, and it wasn’t until many years later that she finally had the opportunity to return to her home state. Prior to moving to Roseville, she and her husband, Joe, had a long-distance relationship for three years, as both of them completed graduate school on opposite sides of the country. It wasn’t easy, but these days, the couple is happily reunited—not to mention the proud parents of two-year-old daughter, Delia. “California always felt like home,” Speaker shares. “My parents have roots [here], so my mom likes to joke that it was all part of a master plan to marry a native Californian.”
Speaker currently works as the grants manager at Placer Community Foundation, an organization that facilitates responsible and effective philanthropy in the region. The most rewarding part? Helping local donors carry out their charitable wishes. “You don’t have to be a millionaire or a billionaire to make a difference,” she explains. “I love seeing the generosity of local people. It solidifies the work I do and makes me love Placer County even more.” In her spare time, she serves on the City of Roseville’s Grants Advisory Commission, in addition to promoting women’s volunteerism as a member of the Junior League of Sacramento. “You never know when things might change in your own life,” Speaker says. “You have to give back when you have the means to do so.”
Article by Amber Foster // Photos by Dante Fontana © Style Media Group
Q&A
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Study hard, and stay in touch with good friends.
What comes to you naturally?
Volunteering and giving my time. I think it’s incredibly important to support those who need it and give of your talents. Humor is essential for me, too.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Poor grammar and spelling. Especially your/you’re!
Are you high or low maintenance
Low. I recently learned to use a curling wand, and my world was rocked.
Biggest life inspirations?
My mom instilled a love of social justice in me at a young age. Every Thanksgiving, she would cook an extra turkey for a local shelter and we would bring it to them together. I’m grateful to my family for the foundation they laid for me and the opportunities they provided. I hope to do the same for my daughter.
Best words of wisdom you’ve received?
I have a fortune from a fortune cookie pinned up at work that reads, “A day without smiling is a day wasted.”
What’s next?
The Placer Community Foundation is advocating for affordable, workforce housing in Placer County (placerhousingmatters.org/housing-petition).
FAVORITES
Author/writer:
Jojo Moyes
Escape:
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Guilty pleasure:
Pies from An Honest Pie
Meal in town:
Curry at My Thai Kitchen
Local landmark:
Vernon Street
Movie:
Sixteen Candles
Musician/band:
The Shins
Place to buy a gift, locally:
Pairings
Saying:
“A rolling stone gathers no moss.”