A lot more than a helpful voice
When you phone or stop by the Garth Newel office, it’s likely you’ll be greeted by administrative coordinator Nikki Bowes, one of the newest members of the GNMC team. We are thrilled she has joined us! She brings just the right mix of knowledge, skills, and commitment … and her abiding love of music makes her fit right in. Not to mention the fact that she’s warm, helpful, fun, and all-around fine human being.
“This job is a dream come true,” Nikki says. “It fulfills my lifelong dream of working in the music business. I hadn’t known much about Garth Newel Music Center before looking into this job. I learned about it … and WOW! It’s an amazing place.”
“I’ve always loved music,” she says. “It’s a necessary part of my life.” As a child, she took piano from age 8 to 15 and was in her school’s jazz choir, chamber choir, and marching band. She studied music business for several semesters in college but ultimately finished with a liberal arts degree. She loves to sing, still plays piano some, and says she “messes around with guitar.”
Nikki especially appreciates GNMC for its focus on music education, which was “one of the best things in my life” in her own childhood and adolescence. She is also happy to be working with a nonprofit, where the top priority is enriching people’s lives.
As the administrative coordinator, Nikki performs all sorts of tasks: entering donations into the software system, managing files and GNMC’s general email account, and handling the many details that keep the office running smoothly. She also does a lot of customer service, solving problems to make the Garth Newel experience an exceptional one.
Even with the excellent skills she brought to the job, there’s a sharp learning curve for the specific tasks that need to be done. “It isn’t easy being green!” she laughs. “But I am doing my best, and I get a lot of support from everyone. I truly love learning something new every day.”
A native of nearby Greenbrier County, West Virginia, she enjoys the drive to “storybook beautiful” Bath County every morning. She loves to go the gym and works out every evening after work.
“It was scary to start something new after 17 years at one place,” Nikki admits. “But I just had to take the leap. I am so grateful to be here. I am excited to come to work, and that is something I haven’t had in a really long time.”
