Getting to know our Director of Hospitality: Emily Brannan
Emily Brannan
Director of Hospitality & Volunteer Coordinator
emily@ionahouse.org
We are so excited to officially welcome Emily to the Iona House staff. She has been serving with Iona House for over a year, so she’s not new. But we thought it would be helpful to do a formal introduction as she comes into an official title as part of our team. Emily is part of our weekly staff meeting and brings valuable contributions and wisdom to the ministry of Iona House. Emily in her role as the Director of Hospitality plays a significant role in shaping the experience of guests at Iona House - from partnering with Elizabeth to shape aesthetics and decor to managing laundry and cleaning, to coordinating a variety of volunteer roles, her hand is in many places.
Elizabeth and I did a brief Q&A with her recently:
Q. Tell us a bit about who you are and how you found out about Iona House.
I am wife to Chris and mom to Caleb. In the fall of 2020 I was able to fulfill a dream I've had for years to go back to school to finish my undergraduate degree in psychology, which I am still working on at Sacramento State. Caleb also started college at that time and not long after, Chris started a program to earn a second master's degree. Needless to say, the last three years have been an adventure! We purchased a home in Placerville in early 2021, where Chris's amazing mom lives, and she introduced us to the Jones Family in April 2021. We immediately felt a connection to them. When Chris and I left our long-time home in Livermore and moved to Placerville full time in early 2022 we got to spend more time with the Joneses and witness the beginnings of Iona House.
Q. How have you been involved in Iona House to-date?
I have been chipping in where I can, helping with administrative planning for a few retreats and community days as well as the recent Celebration Event, helping to stage the homes in the Village, and meeting regularly with Ryan and Elizabeth to help with the details of running Iona House.
Q. You've become our Director of Hospitality and volunteer coordinator. What kind of experience do you have to help you with these roles?
I worked as the Guest Services Manager for a large retirement community where I was responsible for a staff of 20 who led activities, worked the front desk, provided transportation, etc. Our purpose was to create a satisfying and edifying living environment for the residents. I have also done a lot of event planning in professional roles and have worked on staff and volunteered at two churches as a counseling intake coordinator, event planner, and coordinating volunteers.
Q. We had imagined offering compensation for this role, but you have told us that you want to serve Iona House in this role as a gift. This is truly extraordinary! Tell us about that.
Chris and I have felt called to live in such a way that during this time in our lives I am able to serve without a salary. We believe that God is asking us to live generously. He has certainly been so generous with us. More than anything, we want to be obedient to Him and allow Him to use us to extend His blessings to our community.
Q. What excites you about the vision of Iona House?
Everything! I completely resonate with the idea of living into a rhythm of quiet and contemplation. I am so excited to help create environments and experiences where people can feel closer to God and be able to dwell in His presence. I have a passion for spiritual formation and soul care (I will be attending seminary next year to get a Master's in this area) and look forward to seeing people come to Iona House to experience Jesus' deep healing. He's done so much for me, I can't wait to see what He does for others who come to this beautiful place.