Employee Appreciation: Genesis Harshell

By Alexa Sinatra

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.

During their last semester of college at Point Park University, Genesis Harshell discovered an internship opportunity available at Phipps. Genesis already had positive memories visiting Phipps and loved the creativity and joy Phipps brought to the city of Pittsburgh. When they saw that the internship was in their desired career field, they had to jump on it right away!

Following a successful completion of their internship, Genesis felt compelled to apply to an open position in Marketing department. In November 2022, Genesis transitioned from their internship to a full-time role as Marketing and Membership Administrator. A typical day in this role can include a wide variety of responsibilities; from assisting members to putting together emails or social media posts to creating graphics or logos, every day is unique! Genesis says, “Each day is something new, creative and thought-provoking. It makes me excited about the different ways I can contribute to Phipps." 

Outside of work, Genesis enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends stating, “We have been playing together for roughly 3.5 years over a variety of long-term campaigns. These are typically 3–4-hour sessions once a week but, we’ve done celebratory campaigns that have taken 8-9 hours in one go!” They also enjoy making art, spending time with their partner Emily and cat Juniper ‘Bug’ and writing stories.

When asked their favorite memory while working at Phipps, Genesis recalls all of the instances where they got to see their design work come to life and reach the public. Things like a logo they’ve designed being on the website, posters they’ve put together being displayed throughout Pittsburgh, people interacting with their TikTok videos or even having a piece of their work incorporated into a seasonal flower show all make Genesis proud to be an employee at Phipps. Earlier this month, Genesis was promoted to Interactive Marketing Coordinator and we can’t wait to see more of their amazing work out in the world!