A Conversation with Terrance McGehee

A Conversation With highlights TRFF team members who help oversee the Foundation’s programs and operations, providing a glimpse into what it takes to make this work possible and where these leaders find inspiration.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

What is your role at TRFF?

I am the Program Manager of Jane’s Fellowship Program (JFP), TRFF’s leadership development program. JFP engages leaders who are actively serving in Pierce County and are interested in expanding their skills, broadening their networks, and exchanging perspectives with other local leaders.

How long have you worked at the foundation?

I have been with TRFF for two years as of May 2023!

Can you tell us a little about your background?

Before I was the Program Manager for JFP, I was a fellow in Class 7. My background is in restaurant management, and I also have been involved with youth development in my neighborhood. I didn‘t see myself as a community leader, but a friend introduced me to JFP and I gave it a shot and fell in love with the program. As I went through the program and learned more about what TRFF is doing in the Puget Sound region, I came to really believe in the work they were doing. After I graduated from JFP Class 7 in 2018, I was looking for ways to stay involved and began volunteering at sessions with future classes. That volunteering turned into contract work and eventually, my current full-time position.

What do you enjoy most in your role overseeing Jane’s Fellowship Program?

This is hard to answer succinctly because I’m not blowing smoke when I say any of it. This work gives life in ways that few other jobs can. My role is to plan and facilitate the experiential learning that happens, and it’s something I would do voluntarily. I love being able to support grassroots leaders on their journeys by convening fellows twice monthly, and securing professionals to come and offer trainings relevant to the work that fellows are doing in their communities. I enjoy getting to know each fellow personally, having conversations about the state of the world and how we can make a real impact in the communities we live in; how we can go beyond these discussions and start moving the needle.

What is coming up for Jane’s Fellowship Program?

JFP Class 10 is graduating in December 2023 and TRFF is preparing for recruitment of Class 11 later this summer. Our graduate network has been meeting four to five times a year for in-person training storytelling workshops and more.

Where do you get inspiration for the work you do?

My kindergartener. She’s the baby of the family. In school, they talk about their “bucket,” and how affirmations and kindness fill up their bucket, and when bad things happen it empties their bucket. I like to think what fills my bucket, so to speak, is being in community with these grassroots leaders. There are so many people doing good work in the community and it’s mind-blowing. My other children are 17, 18, 20 and 23 and are social justice advocates. I think they absolutely love the fact that I do this for work because it’s really aligned with how we are as a family.

Favorite Quote:

“When your daily activities are in concert with your highest priorities, you have a credible claim to inner peace.” – Hyrum Smith

What are you reading?

I am currently reading “My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies” by Resmaa Menakem. I just finished “Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out” by Ruth King. I think this is an incredible book for anyone doing equity work, as it speaks to the importance of mindfulness and the need to balance this work.

Favorite Leader:

My child Tori, who against all odds continues to thrive. We were told to count them out so many times over the years. We were actually told we could begin to consider final arrangements, and yet my child continues to thrive in every area of life. I marvel at their ability to soldier on in lieu of the vast amount of adversity in their life, being on the spectrum (high functioning but on the spectrum nonetheless), having periventricular gliosis, and a host of other diagnoses that I cannot recall or pronounce affecting their mobility, mood, and cognition. Tori is my inspiration. Tori makes me want to do this work and gives me hope.