Fire! Fire? Not to worry. Whether it is her roaring campfire in the woods or if she is metaphorically putting out a fire with a project or at the Capitol, Erin Drinnin does it with the calm deliberation of a United Nations Fire Chief. Drinnin went on her first camping trip when she was one year old and has been an avid outdoors person since - hiking, biking, and camping across the country. And her outdoor excursions are not “Holiday Inn” camping, they are of the primitive type – no TV or microwave – with a backpack, tent, and sleeping bag.
Drinnin received her Bachelor of Social Work from The University of Iowa and after graduation, as Horace Greeley suggested, went west to Portland, Oregon. She rode her bike to work every day and heartily took in the mountains, the ocean, and waterways of the great Northwest. She then loaded up and moved across the country to North Carolina to complete her Masters of Social Work at UNC. There she got her first real taste of policy in working for the North Carollina Council of Community Programs where she tracked legislation, developed marketing and education materials, and worked on developmental disability and substance abuse issues. She came back to Iowa to work as a Program Manager and Coordinator for adult community services at a Des Moines organization.
Erin joined SPPG as legislative liaison in 2004. Over the years, she has been the lead or team member of state-by-state health research, nationally sponsored events, early education initiatives, program evaluation, and human services projects. Most recently Erin has used her skills as project lead for such clients as the Successful Families Caucus, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and SPPG’s advocacy efforts. And her sensible approach to day-to-day work is fast becoming legend at the office.
“We are truly a different kind of organization. SPPG is able to be more flexible and responsible to the policy environment and emerging issues. Because we are not always constrained in serving specific clients, and often advocate for emerging issues and policy change, we can actually be more creative and help people speak better for themselves.”
Erin Drinnin applies her version of social work, decidedly not as a clinician, but in a broader and more global sense where working on issues and influencing policy will affect social change. No doubt, she will continue to commune with nature when she has a chance, but one can be assured, there will never be an Airstream in her life.
