Current Position: Chief of Volunteer & Community Services
How long have you been with Delaware State Parks and in what capacity?
- 4 1/2 years as Administrator of Volunteers
- 1 1/2 years as Chief of Volunteer Services
How did you become involved in working as a Volunteer Administrator?
My professional training is in Hospitality Administration, with a minor in Recreation Management. Prior to coming to Delaware State Parks, I spent four years in the State Office of Volunteerism. Before that I spent 12 years in Hospitality Management. In this work I am able to blend the management skills I gained along with leveraging community resources for public benefit.
Describe a typical day at your job.
(If there is no such thing as a typical day, then please tell us about your primary responsibilities and duties.)
A lot of time is spent recruiting volunteers and determining need areas within the parks, so I spend a good deal of time building relationships with park staff to know what their needs are. On a daily basis I am discussing volunteer opportunities with individual and group volunteers. I spend a good portion of my time administering the AmeriCorps program, training, guiding and working with the members, and conducting the day-to-day business of administering a federal grant.
How many hours a week do you work in this position?
Around 45.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
Engaging with volunteers and AmeriCorps members. The motivations that bring people to act are very diverse and can be a very powerful experience.
What do you find to be the greatest challenges of your job?
Constantly being the volunteer champion, developing the role and importance that volunteers can play in helping us achieve our mission, and reinforcing and delivering the message.
What kind of training/schooling is required in your position?
Management -- there is a lot of managing people, human resources, budgeting, marketing, sales and time management involved. There is a body of knowledge regarding Volunteer Administration. Some universities are offering this, while some areas offer it at the certificate level. I believe a college degree very helpful in this work.
Is there any kind of training or general experience that you wish you had before taking your job?
No, I believe my background made me well prepared and suited for this occupation.
What are a few of the projects that you've been working on recently that have been the most interesting?
- AmeriCorps program, which places AmeriCorps volunteers throughout our park system coordinating volunteer activities, conducting educational programs, and providing other needed assistance throughout or park system.
- Development of value-added volunteer projects, wherein the volunteer coordinator conducts service learning activities with volunteer groups centered on core areas of our mission.
- Outreach activities with other agencies within the Division, including recycling efforts, sister agency’s nature centers, and special events, like coastal cleanup and beach grass planting.
If someone were interested in working as a Volunteer Administrator at a state park, what advice could you give them?
Volunteer first. Understand what motivates the volunteer in the service segment to which you are considering. And make certain you enjoy what you are doing. Managing volunteers requires energy and absolute belief in both the agencies mission and the volunteers ability to help achieve it.
Clearly define who your client is, what your mission is, and what is the role of volunteers in achieving that mission.
Please share any further thoughts you may have about working in the state park system:
I am a believer in civil service, and that as an employee of the state, I serve the people of Delaware. I further believe that the only reason state parks exist is because the people of our state have indicated that it is important to them and that the services we offer are valued and needed.
I came to state service after a successful career in hospitality management. I managed for 4 and 5 star resorts. If I needed additional supplies, I got approval and purchased them. In a state system, it takes much longer, and for a good reason. We in state service are accountable to the people we serve and many others. In private enterprise, if I make an error, then it rests on me, my performance, etc. In state service, if we make an error, we are held to a public accounting. The people we serve look to us to be wise stewards of the resources they provide to us to carry out our tasks. So, be patient and understand that there is a difference in the working environment, neither rightly nor wrongly so, just different. Accepting this and being aware can ease the transition.
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