Meet Thea Van Gorp | COO, Consultant & Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Thea Van Gorp and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thea, how do you think about risk?
Risk is a concept that’s been a critical component of my life. It’s important to clarify that, to me, risk is not synonymous with recklessness. Rather, it’s a calculated consideration of uncertainty, a deliberate push against the boundaries of comfort in pursuit of possibility. Of course, not all risk-taking ends positively, but it has been a powerful tool that has often led to profound personal growth, increased confidence and creativity, and a greater sense of adventure and fulfillment. In my own life, some of the times that I have felt most excited and motivated have been when I am making calculated risks that both test my strengths and challenge me to improve and adapt. Risk has led me on great adventures, like traveling alone across the country in a small trailer, and it has also led me to career success in which I have been able to pursue large, innovative projects in underserved areas.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve had an interest in education since I was a child. I grew up in a small, rural area in Southeastern Arizona and was exposed to both severe social and educational inequalities, but also incredible learning opportunities. My family and community were very supportive, and I became increasingly interested in learning environments outside of school that allowed me to pursue my interests in the arts, sciences, and the environment. I continued my education and at first struggled to land in any one direction, but found informal education to be incredibly exciting, especially as a potential avenue to address the educational inequalities that my community faced. I studied at the University of Arizona, then at the Teacher’s College at Columbia University focusing on anthropology and informal education. Over the course of my education, I had a variety of jobs that all taught me important lessons. I was a reporter, an educator, an administrator, and many other things. Bartending was as much an education as university was. As I started working for museums and nonprofits, I felt that I had found a more ground-up way to make the types of changes I wanted to see. Of course, there were challenges along the way, but I have had the immense privilege of having a supportive community that helped me to be adaptable in new situations. I’ve learned the importance of being present to best address challenges in the moment, and to let intuition be a guide. Since then, I have worked with many amazing organizations, have traveled around the country on my own, and continue to work towards many of my goals. Now, I have moved back to my small hometown to work on an incredibly exciting project that is so close to my heart. I am the COO of the Bisbee Science Exploration and Research Center, a small STEAM Education nonprofit that serves students all over Cochise County. We have a variety of programs for students and adults of all ages. I was brought on to support the organization as a whole, but also to manage what we are calling the Backyard Project. This is a collaboration with the Bisbee Unified School District and Copper Queen Library and is a one-of-a-kind community co-created project that will renovate 8 acres at a decommissioned middle school into a community resource focused on the environment, education, engagement, and exercise. We have brought on an amazing design team including SALT Landscape Architects, Wilder Landscape Architects, Creative Machines, and PSOMAS to help our community bring this vision to life. The project is in a very underserved area of Bisbee which houses the most families but has no park or community gathering space. It has been an absolute privilege to be a part of this work and to give back to a community that has given so much to me.
This experience has been full of growth professionally and personally. It has provided me with the opportunity to explore so many different areas of interest and has been challenging in ways I did not expect – trying to conduct business meetings with people that remember you as a baby is a new one. I’ve been reminded of the power of community and the strength of collective, collaborative work, and am incredibly grateful for the opportunities, support, and privileges I’ve been afforded. I have learned so much, and will always have more to learn, but the one thing that has impacted me the most is working on being truly present in the moment, good or bad, and letting intuition be a guide. I have become a better listener, problem solver, and learner both in my personal and professional life. I’ve learned that connection is a powerful tool and a fulfilling, worthwhile pursuit in all that I do.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I encourage everyone to visit Bisbee! It’s a great getaway with a truly unique environment. Definitely visit Café Roka for dinner. It’s a fantastic restaurant and everything on the menu is delicious and made with great attention to detail. For brunch, Dot’s Diner is the most amazing with great food, drink, and a really fun atmosphere. I recommend walking around Main Street and checking out the different shops and cafes. A few of my favorites include Pussycat Gelato, Miners and Merchants, Kafka, Redbone Bisbee Vintage, and Patisserie Jacqui – but you really can’t go wrong in any of the shops. Finally, I would highly suggest taking a few different hiking trips. The Chiricahuas are close and one of a kind, but there is also the San Pedro River, The Huachuca Mountains, and the Mule Mountains. There are so many amazing hikes with spectacular environments and wildlife, just be sure to bring lots of water and sunscreen!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My successes are a culmination of so many peoples’ love and support, it would be impossible to thank them all here – though I would love to. At this moment, I would like to recognize my current mentor, Melanie Greene, who has taught me so much in a relatively short amount of time. Melanie is the Executive Director at the nonprofit I work for and has provided me a platform to take calculated risks and pursue exciting opportunities in both my professional development, but also our organizational development. I have learned so much about leadership from her and have always admired her tenacity and ability to maintain focus on our end goals, even when we face barriers and challenges. Melanie’s adaptability and grace are a few of the many reasons I was eager to work with and learn from her and I have become a more well-rounded professional with her guidance.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thea-van-gorp/

Other: https://www.bisbeesciencelab.org/

Image Credits
Sommer Eli