Employee Spotlight: Meet Rosie D.

Our latest Spotlight features Rosie DeOliveira, Manager of Accounting Operations, Financial Reporting Department. Enjoy “meeting” Rosie!

How long have you worked at Neighborhood? What is your position, and what do you enjoy most about your position?
I am the Manager of Accounting Operations, and, in May 2024 it will be my two-year anniversary at Neighborhood! What I enjoy most about my position is that we make improvements to our work, continuously and I love the people that I work with! I have an awesome team, and we like to have fun. Not a lot of people can truly say they love their job, but I can.

What did you do before joining Neighborhood?
Before joining Neighborhood, I was a Senior Research Accountant at Care New England where I oversaw all The Providence Centers’ grants and helped with other projects as well. I also worked at a Community Health Center, Blackstone Valley. I mostly come from a manufacturing background so working at these two organizations was extremely helpful and prepared me for my current career.

Are there any projects or committees you participated in at Neighborhood that stand out to you?
This year was an impactful year for me, and my team. One of the biggest improvements was the team and I put a process in place so that exempt employees no longer need to fill out their timecards. Woo-hoo! A BETI upgrade was implemented, which allows all employees to approve their payroll checks, prior to submitting payroll. This process helps the payroll team catch any errors before submitting the payroll. Another project that stood out to me was one in the procurement space, helping other departments with requisitions and purchase orders, processing them in a timely fashion, and providing reporting.  I enjoy working with various departments and this project enabled us to build a bridge between their departments and the accounting operations space.

Tell us your journey and how Rosie became Rosie!
I grew up in “the Bucket” also known as “Pawtucket, Rhode Island.” I am still there and am probably never going to leave; I love where I am! When I was 16, I had my first and only child, Davontay. I was blessed to be covered by Neighborhood’s insurance and was fortunate to get help from a woman named, “Teresa.” She made sure my son and I had the best quality of care, helped to set up visits with nurses and made sure that we had transportation, and most importantly taught me quite a few life skills.  

Growing up there was a lot of stigma about “teenage mothers.” As an example, they will always live in poverty as will their kids. Another statistic, they would not be able to graduate from high school. Well, luckily for me, I did not fall into the hype. I graduated:

• in the top 10% of my graduating high school class.
• with a college degree in 2016 in Accounting from Johnson & Wales.
• With an MBA in Organizational Leadership in 2020 from Johnson & Wales.
• And in January 2024, I will be pursuing my second master’s degree at Johnson & Wales in Finance.

I have worked in all sorts of jobs – retail for 15+ years, at a gym, and most recently at a hockey rink (I do not know anything about hockey). In 2006, I began my accounting career with my first job as an AP/AR clerk. In 2011 one of my bosses/mentors saw something in me and told me that I had a week to enroll in a college of my choice and that the company would pay for it.

On my first day of class, a sociology professor threw statistics at the class about teenage pregnancies. Teenage mothers will not beat the odds of being a teenage mom, will have a low chance of graduating, and only two percent of teenage moms will go to graduate school. I packed up my things and left the classroom. I hopped on a bus and cried all the way home. I felt so defeated. Luckily, my village of friends and family made sure that I went back to class the next week, and the next one after that, right up until I walked across the stage.

The biggest highlight for me was in 2020, when my son and I graduated at the same time! Davontay graduated from high school, and I received my MBA.

Everyone has a journey. My journey has been hard, but it was worth it. I would do it again. It takes a village to help raise a child. It took an even stronger village to raise me into the person I am today. I express constant gratitude, and mentor teenage mothers who doubt themselves or feel horrible for pursuing a career or an education. I always tell them, no one said it would be easy; it is worth it.

How do you enjoy spending time outside of work?
There is a running joke, people ask me if I sleep. Yes, I do; sometimes. I am a HUGE reader and can binge read on my couch all weekend long. I travel as often as I can and love the beach. I love all “the EATS!” I am a major foodie.

Now, I also spend time with my friends and family. Raising my son, working multiple jobs, and focusing on my education did not allow me to do that before. Now, I love to hang out with my 95-year-old grandmother. I am a firm believer of self-care – especially on Sundays!

Can you share a “Fun Fact” that others might find surprising/interesting about you?
I cannot share just one…  I ran two half marathons and am planning to full one when I turn 40. I sky dived in Newport, and jumped off a building while I was in Las Vegas. I own over 200 pairs of shoes AND COUNTING. I love Halloween and won contests at Neighborhood for my costumes the last two years. Lastly, I was nominated for Woman of Year for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in 2021. I did not win but my team and I raised over $16,000 for the nonprofit.

Is there any advice or mantra that you would share with someone interested in this work, or mission?
I would tell people to really love what you are doing and have a passion for it. Show up for yourself and show up for the organization where you work.

I am fortunate and extremely blessed for my leadership team. I have grown so much during my time here at Neighborhood. My mantra is: you only live once and if you do it right; you only need to do it once. Live your life and have fun! Laugh as loud as you want to. I think people can always hear me before they see me. The cool thing is, there are footprints on the moon, so the sky is not the limit.