Erin Petersen is a bona fide party planner. That’s what makes her so good at what she does for 1MISSION, helping to bring together massive events like Bikes Fight Poverty.

In this Q&A, Erin tells us about her background, what hooked her on the cause, and how her family is getting involved.

Before joining the team earlier this year, what were you up to?
I worked in the mortgage industry for more than ten years, wearing all kinds of hats in different roles. I did loan originations for a while and was a senior processor at USAA. I also have experience in banking and customer service.

How’d you first get connected to 1MISSION?
Two of my friends, Tim and Leah, were part of Bikes Fight Poverty. Tim was a rider, while Leah was part of the SAG team, and she needed someone to SAG with her.

Wait, what in the world does SAG mean?
It stands for “support and gear.” It’s the team in the van that goes along with the riders and takes care of whatever needs come up. Anyway, I joined Leah on the SAG team in 2016 and it was an awesome experience to see what all of these riders have accomplished.

Left Image: Erin and her husband, Jay, at our Basecamp in Mexico after Jay finished the Bikes Fight Poverty ride | Right Image: Erin (far right) posing with her Bikes Fight Poverty volunteer crew

What was it like when you saw the work in the field firsthand?
We went down and did a build, then I brought my husband and our oldest son, Cooper, the next time. It was amazing to get to know the family we were partnering with. There was one kid the age of our son. Cooper had gotten a new baseball cap for his birthday less than a week before, and had practiced a little Spanish, so he went up to this kid, introduced himself in Spanish, and gave him his hat. They signed their names together on the wall of the house, and that’s something neither of them will ever forget.

What energizes you about your job?
I’ve always been a party planner, and in this role, I get to do that on a big scale. I love that.

“But beyond that, it means so much to know you’re part of something really worthwhile. When I worked in the housing industry I helped people here finance their homes. Now I get to help even more people get into a house of their own.”

To see the pride and joy – I’ve never seen people work so hard in my life. I love being part of something you know is making a difference in the world.

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Want to learn more about our team members? Meet them here.