Hello, evaluation community! Liz DiLuzio here, Lead Curator of the blog. This week, we’re taking the opportunity to pull back the curtain at the American Evaluation Association (AEA), giving you an opportunity to get to know the staff a bit better. You’ve likely seen my name around the blog and, if you’ve emailed aea365@eval.org in the past few years, we’re even email pals. Still, we don’t often get the chance to connect beyond the administrative work we do together, and that’s my goal today. As the poet Shawn Carter once said: allow me to reintroduce myself.
What’s your current role within AEA? What does it entail?
I have been curating for AEA365 for four years now, the last two of which have been as Lead Curator. In this role, I am responsible for creating the calendar for the year; working with Elizabeth Grim and the facilitators of weekly takeovers to collect, edit, and queue up blog posts; and corresponding with everyone who reaches out to the blog’s email address, AEA365@eval.org, with questions, comments, and concerns.
What’s something about you that people might be surprised learn?
I’m a DJ, trained by powerhouses such as Paul Oakenfold and Tony Humphries. In 2023, I went on tour with a legendary hip hop artist, performing in venues across the country.
What excites you the most about your work?
The opportunity to bring a valuable learning resource created by evaluators, to evaluators. What’s more: every person with whom I work is just as passionate about AEA365’s mission. I feel blessed to be at the hub of a network of passionate, thoughtful, and inspiring people.
As an evaluator, it’s the ability to support the innovative, passionate people doing great things for their communities. From teaching data skills and watching the spark of excitement people get when learning something new to telling the story of my clients’ work through data, I appreciate knowing that I have a role in facilitating excellent programming.
What is a new direction you’d like to explore in 2024?
Further leveraging individuals’ weeks to bring new voices to the AEA365 community. Most of the year is filled with themed weeks, whether they be hosted by a TIG, a group of colleagues, or workgroup members. These are powerful opportunities for groups of people to share teachings from the work they do. Then, every six weeks or so, we reserve a week for individuals to contribute posts, regardless of their affiliation. It’s important to me that these weeks continue to highlight new voices, and I look forward to trying new ways to do so.
Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this AEA365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the AEA365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an AEA365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. AEA365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. The views and opinions expressed on the AEA365 blog are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the American Evaluation Association, and/or any/all contributors to this site.