Summer 2013

National Assocation of Volunteer Programs in Local Government

NAVPLG members had the opportunity to thank Leigh Britt for her service at the annual meeting. Leigh has served on the board since 2009 and was President from 2011 to 2013. Leigh is manager of Neighborhood Services with the City of Columbia, Missouri. Everyone at NAVPLG thanks Leigh for her leadership on the board. Leigh has also been responsible for oversight of the annual awards. The board looks forward to her continued guidance this year as Past President.

Hospitality+Service by Leigh Britt 

The session I enjoyed the most was led by staff from Hilton Hotels, Points of Light and Taproot focusing on a new curriculum to teach volunteers and non-profits how to incorporate service and hospitality into their programs.  I realized that we have many volunteers who are providing direct service to the public by working at our visitor’s center, assisting at special events or festivals or speaking to others in our parks.  As volunteer managers we need to ensure that our volunteers are equipped to provide excellent customer service and that we also demonstrate hospitality to our volunteers as managers.  The program is still under development; I understand it will be available free later this year. You can read more online.  Leigh Britt




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Robin Popik

Have you ever thought about starting a new library, park, sustainability or police program to attract or assist citizens and add value? 

Years ago at a national conference, I wandered into a session on library programming.  The presentation turned to “How to start a Homework Center, (HWC),”  and as a good student I took notes.  When I returned home I approached one of the library managers, “Have you ever considered starting a HWC?”  The response surprised me. “Yes, but we don’t know where to begin.”  With the blueprint in hand, a conversation with the presenter, faxed forms and a few meetings with our school partners, the program was on its way.  This project provided free, after-school academic assistance to reinforce lessons taught in the classroom and provided tutoring in basic math and reading.  The HWC program celebrated ten years of service before it was disbanded and afterschool homework programs took its place.

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NAVPLG is proud to be an affiliate of the National Association of Counties (NACo). Check out the below links to some current NACo News and Resources that might be of interest:

• Volunteer Attorneys Examine Records for Expungement Eligibility

• Coconino County Parks Take An Entrepreneurial Approach

• Spotlight on a NACo Resource: Research News, Americans Trust Local Government the Most


NAVPLG’s affiliate representative to NACo is Greg Castano, Volunteer Services Program Coordinator with Arlington County (VA). Learn more about NACo at www.naco.org.

Lee Ann Harvey

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service (NCVS) in Washington, D.C was the perfect forum for the NAVPLG annual meeting. The NCVS with this year's theme Service Unites opened everyone to the potential that exists when we work together. As volunteer managers in a local government setting, we frequently encounter unique issues that are not usually addressed by other professional associations. The ability to share, connect, learn best practices and seek advice from NAVPLG members has been invaluable to me over the years. This year was no exception thanks to an outstanding panel of NAVPLG members who have all previously served on the board and who have award winning programs – Bonnie Pittl, Volunteer Resources Manager with the City of Kettering, Ohio; Sue Irey, Community Volunteer Coordinator from Carlsbad, California; and Christine Nardecchia, Volunteer Resources Administrator with Dublin, Ohio. The session was ably moderated by Susan Stolpe, Volunteer Program Specialist with Volunteer Arlington.



From left, Lee Ann Harvey, Bonnie Pittl, Sue Irey, Christine Nardecchia
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Leigh Britt

One of the highlights of NAVPLG’s meeting at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service was the presentation of awards.  NAVPLG’s award program raises awareness of our profession and recognizes excellence in our field.

Innovative Program Award went to  VolunteerLEON of Leon County, Florida

The award was presented for their "Operation Youth Mock Deployment -- Walk a Day in a Soldier’s Boots” program for area youth who have a parent deployed in Afghanistan.  The event took place on Saturday, September 8, 2012. Children experienced first-hand the step-by-step deployment process including being established in platoons, team-building exercises, mock obstacle courses and a hero's welcome home.

31 children attended this free event.  Each participant received military orders, a check list to complete each step of deployment and a hero pack. Leon County has no military base but partnered with Military Kids, Inc. to help them spread the word. 

For more information, visit Volunteer LEON.

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Lee Ann Harvey

A new NAVPLG board was installed during the annual meeting at the NCVS. Several board members are returning in the same or different roles and many new members have been added. We are in for an exciting year.

Keep watching over the coming year for updates to the website and our social media presence. This is YOUR organization, so please let me know of any changes you would like to see. I may be reached at leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or 678-553-6548.

Following is the new board for 2013-2014:
President: Lee Ann Harvey
President-Elect: Kay Sibetta
Past President: Leigh Britt
Treasurer: Tibby Larson
Secretary: Colleen Aistis
Member at Large/Newsletter: Barbara Dean
Member at Large/Membership/Social Media: Anthony Richardson
Member at Large/Education/Pre-conference: Sheryl Ivey
Member at Large/Marketing/Technology: Kim Yonda-Lead
Member at Large: Elane Fleming
Member at Large: Susana Coronel
NACo Representative: Greg Castano (non-voting member)
Cities of Service Representative: Robin Popik (non-voting member)

The Cities of Service have an Impact Volunteer fund to help cities use volunteers to resolve pressing local issues.  For more information visit Cities of Service Impact Volunteering Fund.