Diversity Leadership Circle Member Spotlight: Jason Preston
Tell us about yourself (job, home town, any other fun facts)I grew up in Illinois just outside of Champaign. I’ve been with Lilly for over 16 years now working in marketing and sales, privacy and now data analytics. Fun fact: My wife and I have attended over 80 weddings over the years! What are you passionate about?Helping children reach their potential. I have a 12 year old daughter. When she came into our lives, I realized how vulnerable children are, but at the same time I realized how resilient they are as well. When and how did you first become involved with United Way?I initially became involved as part of company campaigns going back prior to my Lilly years. Over the years, though, I have been involved in many ways: I have been a ReadUP tutor for several years, I participated on the steering committee of Emerging Leaders, I was an internal business area ambassador at Lilly and the last two years have helped lead a committee that is part of Lilly’s internal United Way core team. Why do you choose to support United Way’s mission?I have seen firsthand the strategy UWCI takes when identifying and addressing the needs and opportunities of our community. They also take accountability. I feel strongly that supporting UWCI is one of the most impactful things I can do to make a local difference. As a OneAmerica/Chase/Lilly/Katz Sapper Miller/etc. employee, how do you feel about the new level of partnership with United Way?United Way, and community support in general, is a strong part of the culture at Lilly. It seemed like a natural fit when Lilly further solidified that partnership with United Way Worldwide last year. Is there anything you hope to gain from this type of partnership?I appreciate that this partnership goes beyond what we see and do in Central Indiana. With Lilly’s global presence, I am interested to see how we extend this involvement to other countries as well. When did you become involved with Diversity Leadership Circle?I officially joined over the past year, but raising awareness and encouraging participation across all of the UWCI affinity groups is the focus of the Lilly-United Way core team I lead. What interested you most about Diversity Leadership Circle?I feel like societal trends have moved many people to isolate themselves to those who act or look most like themselves. I see DLC participation as a way for me to interact with other people -- to be exposed to different ways of thinking and different motivations. What is your favorite memory or event with Diversity Leadership Circle?Diversity Leadership Circle has introduced me to an interesting concept -- diversity beyond race. This includes things like how we view the world, why we make the choices we make, how we surface and understand the assumptions we make – our perceptions. Diversity comes in so many forms that race itself does not show—education, health issues, poverty, family dynamics.
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