Volunteer Administrator of the Year Award
Volunteer Administrators are masters at recognizing others for their volunteer work efforts. This award was instituted to honor a not-for-profit volunteer administrator who has demonstrated outstanding innovation, dedication and perseverance in the profession of volunteer administration. The nomination process focuses on describing how your outstanding volunteer administrator “models the way, inspires a shared vision, challenges the process, enables others, and encourages the heart.”
This award is generously sponsored by
2009 Volunteer Administrator of the Year...
Melissa Ghoston, The Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland
FVA announced Melissa Ghoston, Director Volunteer and External Affairs as the recipient of the 2009 Volunteer Administrator of the Year Award. Although only in the position for less than 4 years, Ms. Ghoston has made a significant impact on advancing the mission of The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland - to provide quality health care and related services free of charge to those who lack appropriate alternatives. The Free Clinic relies heavily on its volunteer corps to provide quality health care and related services free of charge to those who lack appropriate alternatives. According to the nominator, Executive Director Danny Williams, the estimated value of the more than 300 volunteers we utilize is just over $1 million each year – the equivalent of one-quarter of our operating budget.
This year’s recipient Models the Way by her consistent willingness to volunteer within the organization to assist with initiatives that are both essential and morale boosting. She volunteered to organize and facilitate a group process to shift the clinic hours of operations to open earlier in the day and on the weekend resulting in new hours of service to patients.
She clearly Inspires a Shared Vision through her efforts to enlist other to advance the mission. Her efforts have resulted in doubling the number of volunteer physicians and nurse practitioners since she became a director of Feb. 2008. Her recruitment of one an area doctor led directory to the addition of radiology services to the Free Clinic.
She has displayed a vision and persistence in Challenging the Process by championing the idea of hosting periodic rummage sales, to benefit Clinic patients. Although the idea was initially met with resistance by the executive director, her enthusiasm for the project prompted him to allow her to try the experiment, which was well executed, enthusiastically received and of significant benefit to patients and staff and future events on the calendar.
She Enables Others by being the first point of contact for the establishment of collaborations with a variety of major institutions including area universities, career centers hospitals and social service agencies.Encourages the Heart by ensuring our volunteer partners receive the acknowledgment they deserve. She is instrumental in crafting successful nominations for at least three deserving volunteers with the last couple of years, resulting in state wide and local recognition.
2008 Volunteer Administrator of the Year...
Heather Triplett, Cleveland Metroparks
The Forum for Volunteer Administrators has named Heather Triplett, Manager of Volunteer Services at Cleveland Metroparks, as its sixth annual Volunteer Administrator of the Year. This award was instituted to honor a Greater Cleveland not-for-profit volunteer administrator who has demonstrated outstanding innovation, dedication and perseverance in the profession of volunteer administration.
Triplett, was presented the award during the annual FVA Fall Conference which was held on November 6th at the City Club of Cleveland. She noted that “I think for most of us our reason to volunteer and/or lead volunteers has something to do with who we are as a person; what drives us and what is important to us.”
Heather joined Cleveland Metroparks in 1998 and was promoted to Manager of Volunteer Services in 2002. Through her works she has secured grant funding for the current O.W.L.S. (Older Workers Leading Success) Program. She has also designed and developed the current Volunteer Recognition Program. FVA commends Heather for all of the work that she has done not only for Cleveland Metroparks, but also for the field of volunteerism.
2007 Volunteer Administrator of the Year ...
Andrea Sack, Parma Community Hospital
On November 8, 2007, Mrs. Andrea Sack, Director of Volunteers at Parma Community Hospital, became the fifth recipient of the FVA Volunteer Administrator of the Year award. Andrea was nominated by Parma Hospital’s CEO, Patricia Ruflin. Andrea is a “nurse by training and a caregiver by nature who has worked led volunteers for the past seven years and demonstrates that it is much more than a job, it is a calling.” During her tenure directing Parma Hospital’s 400 volunteers, she has been a key player in a number of initiatives including the Prayer Partners program, a volunteer patient representative program and the development of “Key Words at Key Times.” Andrea was honored in 2006 with the Quick Fix award by the Ohio Society of Directors of Volunteer Services and has also received the Inclusion Award from the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Andrea is said to “lead with compassion, integrity and a spirit of collaboration. “
The FVA Volunteer Administrator of the Year award was developed to recognize outstanding volunteer administrators. Previous award winners are JoAnn Jacobson of American Red Cross, Barbara Nalette of University Hospitals of Cleveland, Kate Schantz of Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland (formerly with Adoption Network of Cleveland) and Lona Gruber of Southwest Community Access Network. Special thanks goes to the nine community members who served as the 2007 Selection Committee members.
The Forum for Volunteer Administrators is a Northeastern Ohio independent, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide mutual support, continuing dialogue and professional development opportunities for those involved in the leadership and management of volunteers.
|
