5 Questions for Linda TobiasCCFB Administrative Assistant - Membership and Programs
My favorite job within CCFB is doing anything that allows me to be creative. Need a flyer for the Co-Operator? Need to create a document to promote member benefits? I’m your girl! I’ve always enjoyed working on computers and “making things look pretty”! Sometimes it can be very tedious, but I still enjoy it!
What impresses you about your co-workers?
As surprising as it may sound, I’ve had other jobs prior to working at the Cook County Farm Bureau! The thing that impresses me most about my co-workers is how everyone genuinely cares about each other. I’ve worked for the Farm Bureau since 2007 (minus a few years that I was gone, but let’s pretend that never happened) and I’ve gotten to know just about everyone quite well. We’ve been through so much in our personal lives, good and bad, and no matter what, I’ve seen everyone be there for each other. It could be the smallest gesture…a joke when someone isn’t in the best mood and needs some cheering up, or a hug or kind word to each other every now and then, and it’s always been genuine. It could be due to us being a very small office (less than 10 people), not sure, but I’ve never encountered co-workers that really care about one another and really wish the best for each other like my co-workers here at CCFB.
What is a memory stamped into your mind from your work with Cook County Farm Bureau?
One event/activity that really sticks out for me is when the CCFB staff visited the Oak Lawn Ronald McDonald House (RMDHC) in 2017. As a group, we prepared lunch for the families that were staying at the house at the time. We had partnered with RMDHC for quite a few years prior to this and it was the first time I had the opportunity to see in-person just one of the ways that the charity helped families with sick children. It was great to see first-hand what the charity was all about and how they helped so many families.
What did you want to be growing up?
Surprisingly, I wanted to be an astronaut when I was younger and would always tell my mom that I would be the first Hispanic to go to space! I say surprisingly, because if you know me, you’d know that I’m absolutely terrified of flying! I don’t like airplanes and the thought of even being on a plane now makes me nervous! I managed to avoid getting on a plane for about 10 years but had to give in for a family wedding in Las Vegas last fall. That would have been one long road trip! Now, I only fly if I really need to...or if I really want to go on vacation.
When you are not working on CCFB business, what is something you like to spend time doing?
I LOVE going to concerts! When I was a little girl, my mom used to take me and my sister to concerts. I remember going to concerts as early as four or five years old! I even saw Michael Jackson in concert and vaguely remember it. Going to concerts is something that I’ve always enjoyed, and I’ve now passed that on to my daughter. She loves going to concerts just as much as I do, maybe even more! As a matter of fact, we just went to see the Backstreet Boys in concert a couple of weeks ago and she loved it more than I did. The live music, the energy, and the crowd of people singing along to the same songs you enjoy. I love it!