The daily work grind for many people consists of doing the same thing over and over. Jordan Feyerherm, however, spends his days doing everything from teaching cooking classes to writing grants. No day is the same for him, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
For the last two and half years, Jordan’s position as a community organizing associate for the Center for Rural Affairs has given him the chance to take on a wide variety of responsibilities, though he says it comes down to the people.
“At the heart of my work is connecting with people in rural communities,” Jordan said. “I go all over the state in an effort to help create robust networks of passionate, community-minded individuals.”
Though he was born and raised in Nebraska, Jordan’s mother and brother moved to the United States from Bogotá, Colombia, during the 1980s. From an early age, Jordan interacted with many cultures because of his mother’s job working with international students.
Later on, Jordan graduated from culinary school, then worked for a small Persian restaurant for several years, becoming close with the owners and their family. He also has an education in global and Latin American studies.
He says experiences like these have taught him to learn about, experience, and share culture through food.
“I became aware, and very interested in, how different and similar people were from all parts of the world,” Jordan said. “While I sometimes struggled with my own identity, or in what in-group I ‘belonged,’ I was also left with a deep curiosity and appreciation for learning about and connecting with other cultures.”
He has been able to use the knowledge he’s acquired as a first generation American to help make positive changes through his work in community inclusion and food access. He says working at the Center has afforded him the opportunity to combine these different aspects into his everyday work, and the variety is part of what makes his job so interesting and enjoyable.
“I absolutely love that rarely are two days the same,” he said. “I can measure my success in connecting with people. I can approach situations in a creative way, but still have the support of a robust and diverse team. What I like most about working for the Center is the trust and support they place in every employee.”
In Jordan’s eyes, there couldn’t be a more rewarding and positive position.
“I'm inspired by meeting so many new people and assisting in building networks of leaders who all share a passion for making their communities stronger, more inviting places to live for everyone,” he said. “Nothing is more satisfying than actively working toward the change you want to see in the world.”
In his free time, Jordan loves to work in his garden, and put his culinary skills to the test in the kitchen as often as he can.
Jordan works from his home office in Lincoln, Nebraska, where his two dogs act as his secretarial assistants. He primarily serves central and eastern Nebraska, eastern Iowa, and the Omaha reservation. He can be reached at 402.580.1516 or [email protected].
