The Story of Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon is BUILT TO SERVE. What are you built for?
The fierce commitment to the bigger picture I’ve experienced firsthand at Team Rubicon has inspired me, and solidified my pursuit of a career of service that extends far beyond myself.
- Amy Smerdel, Intern
The work we do in the field has the unique ability to bring people together, whom, prior to arriving, never imagined they’d leave with countless new friends. All willing to drop anything to help out.
- Jerome Deniz, Training
I wake up every day proud to work for an organization that lives by its values.
- Andrew Glenn, Training
Culture is king.
Anyone joining Team Rubicon must understand that our mission to provide disaster response comes first. But it is our volunteer members (who wear our signature ‘grey shirts’ on response operations) who make that mission possible. Our leaders serve our members, and in doing so enable our members to serve their communities.
Team Rubicon needs leaders who aren’t afraid to dare to be great. We’re not interested in those who stand outside the arena lobbing in criticism; we look for the bold soul who despite the threat of failure, steps inside to pursue greatness.
We can’t all be good at everything. As leaders, we must work to define roles and maximize the contribution of our teammates. As teammates, we aspire to work in harmony toward achieving a higher goal than any one of us could accomplish on our own.
This is our attitude. It has been since the beginning. Team Rubicon was born with the belief that if we only look at obstacles, if we only listen to and make excuses, then success will not be ours. We are entrepreneurial, resourceful and determined no matter how chaotic the situation.
Like military service, committing to becoming the best disaster response organization in the world can be mentally, physically and emotionally grueling. We should take care of ourselves and each other so we are best equipped to serve those in greatest need. Many of our employee benefits are designed to promote wellness and we encourage staff to take advantage of them.
At Team Rubicon, we strictly forbid dueling, but we don’t forbid much else. We strive to treat team members like adults. Want a beer after a long day? Just be smart. Need a few days off? Cool, just let us know. As long as we act like adults, we’ll be treated like adults.
We shouldn’t be afraid to spend money—that will only throttle growth. But, we must be prepared to defend every dollar we spend. Think of it this way—imagine your mother donated that dollar. Would you spend it? Every leader must be committed to fiduciary responsibility, transparency and financial stewardship.
Culture is king, and we see it as the intersection of our ethos and our action.
As a direct result of the culture of Trust and Respect that Team Rubicon has honed for the past eight years, we are proud to announce that TR is being recognized on a global stage.
In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt stood before a crowd and dared men and women to use their courage, skill, and tenacity to accomplish great things. To step into the arena. When you join Team Rubicon, you are expected to be that man or woman in the arena. Each quarter, we present the Teddy Award to one exceptional Team Rubicon employee who stepped into the arena and tackled an audacious task.
After joining the team about 6 months ago, Devon stepped into the role of lead for Communications for BrandComms. Devon immediately "jumped into the arena", leading the comms strategy, execution, and coordination for TR during our busiest time in 2022. He is "Greyshirt always", putting TR and our "mission first". This was displayed when he was quick to deploy to KY and serve as our PIO after the floods and then again was the first to volunteer to travel to Chicago and operate out of our EOC in response to Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. He never misses a moment to volunteer and has an infectious passion for TR and the communities we serve. One Greyshirt took the time to share: "Devon Miller (PIO) sent me talking points in advance and then met with me to prep for the interview and was so confident of success that he made me feel more comfortable. He then went out to do a muck out with one of our teams." Devon is an incredible partner, building relationships and working closely with volunteers and staff alike across the organization. He is focused on engaging with Comms Associates across the country and with our Comms Leads in the branches to ensure everyone is connected, supported, and telling the story of the work we do and the communities we serve. His positive energy and leadership get people excited to work with him and he has achieved a number of successes as a result. During the first few days of Hurricane Ian alone, he worked with the team to secure over 25 national media interviews and several local/regional broadcast interviews including NBC News, MSNBC, Fox News, NewsNation, and ABC News. After initial coverage, almost every station invited TR back for a follow-up segment and we received feedback from Greyshirts at the EOC that the media coverage helped us get into the door with multiple emergency managers across Florida. Devon's commitment to TR and the communities we serve is evident through his passion for our mission and storytelling. He is a truly remarkable teammate and individual and we are lucky to have him as a Greyshirt.
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