Sassy. Friendly. Outgoing. Caring. Wise beyond her years. Loves to talk. Likes cheese and playing volleyball. And it takes two alarm clocks to wake her up in the morning.

Who are we talking about? Former Development Specialist Natalia Petraszczuk, who left MEC last month to become Executive Director of Earth Share of Illinois. Natalia, 24, who started working at MEC in September of 1999, left a lasting mark in a short amount of time. Together with President Lana Pollack, MEC's Board of Directors and the President's Council, Natalia helped raise almost $1 million for MEC's burgeoning endowment and our operating fund.

If you don't know Natalia, you might be surprised to learn that someone so young was chosen to direct Earth Share of Illinois, a workplace-giving program that offers the environmental alternative to traditional United Way campaigns. Earth Share of Illinois represents 25 state groups, 25 national groups and a handful of international organizations. This is obviously an important job, and Natalia hasn't even been alive for a quarter century yet. How did she snag it? A clue might be found in what she described as her greatest fear: "not living up to my potential." When asked if she felt courageous in making this move, she answered, "People have much more strenuous changes to deal with than this one for me-losing loved ones, dealing with poverty…any major change takes strength."

"It's frankly impossible for me to imagine MEC without Natalia," said Special Projects Coordinator Brad Garmon. "It's great to see her setting out to carve a new place for herself…but she will be missed and the place quieter and less MEC without her."

A thoughtful and sensitive person who speaks fluent Ukrainian, prioritizes physical activity, remains especially close to her family and considers herself a liberal and "an extreme fan of the arts," Natalia has the ability to keep people motivated and engaged with her charming personality, wit and intelligence that belies her years.

Policy Director James Clift said, "Her demeanor, work ethic and friendly smile will be sorely missed." Although she's a self-described evening person who drinks a cup of coffee every morning, Natalia was always pleasant to those around her no matter what time of day, regardless of workload or looming deadlines. She is indeed missed by many for reasons too numerous to list here.