Employee Appreciation: Corinne Gibson

By Greta Engel

Phipps is well-known for our beautiful gardens, seasonal flower shows, pioneering sustainability initiative, informative educational programs and community outreach. None of our work would be possible without the knowledge and dedication of our employees. There is a wide array of departments at Phipps, each playing an integral role in creating a wonderful experience for our guests. In this series of profiles, we meet some of our employees and get a glimpse into what they do to make Phipps possible.

With a background in higher education, Director of Regenerative Culture and Community Engagement Corinne Gibson was looking for a new challenge when she came to Phipps. Her position at the Conservatory gave her the opportunity to combine her passion for community engagement and diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). Originally from Southern New Jersey, Corinne came to Pittsburgh for school and never left. She has been working at Phipps for around three years now. She is the youngest of three siblings and has 22 first cousins! Corinne enjoys anything to do with music, including watching live music, singing and playing instruments. She is also an avid traveler and values sightseeing at her own pace! She loves to take her time reading signs and noticing all the smaller details when traveling and exploring.

In a typical day of her job, Corinne spends much of her time researching to prepare for staff meetings and to develop new topics to present and discuss. She also researches new ways to connect with community partners whether that be through collaboration, participation or creating something entirely new. No day as the Director of Regenerative Culture and Community Engagement is the same! She frequently consults with every department, focusing on how they can include more programming with DEIA at the forefront. People from different departments often come to her with questions and new ideas, which allows her to be involved in an array of projects across Phipps.

Corinne’s favorite part of the job is presenting and having face-to-face conversations with staff! She really values the opportunity she gets to connect with people. She also enjoys attending community events to build relationships and discover how Phipps can connect with new organizations they may have never worked with before. Corinne’s favorite memory while working at Phipps was having an intern for six weeks last summer because it highlighted the limitless possibilities of how the department could grow! Currently, Corinne is a department of one, but she is excited to see what the future holds. With her vibrant personality and passion for everything her department represents, Corinne excels in her role here at Phipps.