Reviewed by: Patience Itson
How one Bham newbie found the perfect community-focused job
Reading time: 4 minutes
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When Rylee Vaughan graduated from college, she didn’t have a plan to move to Birmingham. But since her family, who she’s very close to, moved to Prattville from Florida, coming to Alabama was easy.
Growing up, her happy place was outside playing sports or being at church. To this day, she loves being outside and being active.
Her main hobbies are running, cycling, reading, trying new food or coffee and thrifting. So far, her favorite spots in her new home of Birmingham include the Jemison Trail, Trattoria ZaZa and Domestique Coffee.
Keep reading to find out about the community-building job that brought her to Birmingham.
Meet Rylee Vaughan, Relationship Manager at United Way of Central Alabama
Born and raised in Tallahassee, Rylee Vaughan wasn’t sure what she wanted to do when she graduated from Florida State. She thought it might be something in the nonprofit world, but didn’t know exactly how to get started.
Fortunately, her mentor at FSU knew someone in Birmingham who used to work at United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA).
In April 2024, Rylee moved to Birmingham to start working as a Relationship Manager at UWCA.
As part of the onboarding process, all new relationship managers serve as a Loaned Executive.
For Rylee, that meant joining the organization’s summer Pacesetter campaign.
“Being a Loaned Executive was really fun—you get to meet so many people. Talking with people with different communication styles also really develops your own communication skills.
For me, fresh out of college, it helped me with my tact, emailing and public speaking. It was good to work with companies, and the role had a lot of overlap with the Relationship Manager job.”
Rylee Vaughan, Relationship Manager, UWCA
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A day in the life of a relationship manager at UWCA
Relationship managers are like account managers. UWCA has several on staff, and they work with specific sectors in the community on their campaigns. These can include corporations, nonprofit organizations or schools.
Depending on the time of year, a typical day can include:
- Attending campaign kickoff events
- Meeting with coworkers at the office or a local CEO
- Speaking with employees at a company about United Way
- Updating reports in Excel
“It’s fun because it changes every single day.”
Rylee Vaughan, Relationship Manager, UWCA
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What motivates Rylee to come to work each day
Rylee likes being part of UWCA’s role as a connector between people in the community and opportunities to get involved.
“We’re not just raising money and helping get it into the right hands. We’re also helping connect people with the things they feel passionate about.”
Rylee Vaughan, Relationship Manager, UWCA
She enjoys the work life balance and variety in her days, and appreciates the ebbs and flows in her work.
“The culture has been great. This is my first true adult job out of college, and it’s been really positive. Everybody is supportive, fun and kind. There’s a good down-to-earth feel here. Everybody respects that people have lives outside of work, too.”
Rylee Vaughan, Relationship Manager, UWCA
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Making a difference across Central Alabama
For anyone who’s thinking of applying for a job at UWCA, here’s what Rylee had to say:
“If you want to make an impact in the community but aren’t sure where to start, United Way is great. Even if you end up in a very specific position, you’re still part of a nonprofit with a large impact.”
Rylee Vaughan, Relationship Manager, UWCA
Work for an organization that makes a difference every day. Apply for a job at UWCA today.
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