President: Mary Lynn Perry, M.A., City of Sacramento, California
Past President:  Kandy LeMoine CVA, City of Farmington, New Mexico
Secretary: Alyse Lui, City of Hayward, California
Treasurer/Finance:  Manuel Moreno, County of Los Angeles, California
Members-at-Large: Jody Cook, City of Columbia, Missouri; Marcia Hale CVA, City of Hillsboro, Oregon; Tara Waters, City of Raleigh, North Carolina
Membership Chair: Jeannine Purdy, County of Fairfax, Virginia
Awards Chair: Leigh Kottwitz CVA, City of Columbia, Missouri
Education Chair:  Deirdre Araujo, Exploratorium Museum of Science, Art, and Human Perception, San Francisco, California
Marketing & Technology Chair: Roxanne Flores-Achmad, City of Copperas Cove, Texas
E-Newsletter Chair: Melissa A. Heinlein, PhD, CAVS, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Social Media Chair: Roxanne Flores-Achmad, City of Copperas Cove, Texas
Nomination Chair:  Karen Sykes, M.P.A., City of Little Rock, Arkansas
Committees Associate, Awards: Tara Waters, City of Raleigh, North Carolina
Committees Associate, Education: Mayor Michael Marsh, City of Pangburn, Arkansas

 

National Association of Volunteer Programs in Local Government | Facebook

Mary Lynn Perry has an extensive background managing volunteers and student interns. For more than 17 years she served as the Volunteer Engagement Specialist for the City of Sacramento, California. Under her direction the City’s volunteer service hours grew from 199,000 to over 449,000 with a value over $10 million dollars annually. She has also served as the volunteer coordinator for the National Museum of African Art, as an Education Specialist with the Smithsonian Institution coordinating student interns throughout the 12 museums, as the Executive Director of Business Volunteers for the Arts in Sacramento where she managed pro bono consultant projects with business volunteers for arts organizations and as the Volunteer Services Manager for Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Mary Lynn has served as part-time faculty for California State University, Sacramento and Sierra College. Mary Lynn holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland and an M.A. from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In addition to serving as President of NAVPLG, she serves as Vice Chair on the Board of DOVIA Sacramento, (Directors of Volunteers in Agencies), as President of the Sacramento Region Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), and on the board of Lutheran Social Services Northern California. 

For fun, Mary Lynn dances hula with Ohana Dance Group/Kuhai Halau O Ke'Alaanuheaokalaua'e and sings with All Voices Choral Project.
 

I became president at the 2018 Points of Lights Conference in Atlanta. Some of our accomplishments include the following:

• Board service descriptions were updated to include the NAVPLG brand
• Proposed bylaws changes took much thought and work during 2019, but we didn’t receive the votes necessary to amend the bylaws
• We hosted the annual meeting at the 2019 Points of Light Conference in St. Paul and pivoted to Zoom video conferencing in 2020
• By transitioning to conferences online, we were able to host more educational enrichment events in addition to the 2021 annual meeting
• Many organizations joined in 2021 through the free membership offer for COVID-19 Relief

I am thankful for the outstanding service of the board of directors, and I look forward to helping the new president and the board to accomplish their goals in my role as past president.
 
Thank you for your membership.
 

The National Association of Counties (NACo) membership and elected and appointed officials from across the country met in Prince George’s County, Maryland, July 9 -11, while offering online access to participants unable to travel. Recordings from the speakers and workshops are available here, with highlights from VP Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and more.

I appreciated HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge referencing De Tocqueville in her remarks, and then having fun with the concept of service without expectation of reward:  I want you to be GOOD FOR NOTHING. She also acknowledged that county leaders may feel more secure having money in their bank accounts, but for us to truly Build Back Better, they had to see to it that the monies are directed to those who need it most. You've got that money - now Let It Go!

One of the other workshops of note was Say and Do: Five Strategies for Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Your Community. Moderated by Denise Barreto of Cook County, IL. Her panelists acknowledged that counties are at different places in their journey, and while it's good to locate templates and learn from others, only your team can accurately assess what are the wisest first steps. Their suggestions include Start with the Why; Equity Begins In-house; Don't Burden Already Marginalized Communities; Do What You Can Where You Are; Equity as a Gateway to Justice.

Also relevant to our work was the session from the Arts and Culture Committee Workshop. I highly recommend watching the introduction and opening prayer. The Conference closed with the installation of the new NACo President, De Kalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson. Watch his speech here.


NAVPLG attended the 2021 NACo Annual Conference & Exposition
 

Congratulations to the following NAVPLG members who were recognized for their outstanding volunteer engagement initiatives during 2021.  Awardees were announced during the annual meeting in June 2021.

Outstanding Volunteer Administration | Tibby Larson,
City of Salem, Oregon's Park and Recreation Program
Innovative Program | The City of Shawnee, Kansas | Neighbors Helping Neighbors Program
Rising to Excellence | The City of Santa Clarita, California | The Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center | Exemplary work done as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Nominations open July 15 and close October 15
STACVA (Small Town America Civic Volunteer Award) |
(civic-volunteer.com)
 

 This site has been revamped and has a whole new fresh look. Check it out. 



The global voice of leaders of volunteer engagement (formerly known as e-Volunteerism).  Link here.

Ellis Archives on the Professional Leadership of Volunteers
The Ellis Archive is a unique collection, illustrating how the leadership and management of volunteers evolved as a distinct discipline and profession during the 20th century. The subject matter covers a broad spectrum — from quirky and humorous “lost history” to “old” how-to guidance that is still amazingly relevant to today’s practitioners!


IAVE exists to promote, strengthen, and celebrate volunteering in all of the myriad ways it happens throughout the world.  Link here.



Geared more towards healthcare, The Beryl Institute works to establish a global community of practice on improving the patient experience.  The Beryl Institute has been supporting former AHVRP members since AHVRP sunset in December 2020.  Link here.


VolunteerMatch offers free webinars through The VolunteerMatch Learning Center. Link here.


Link here.