National Service Board Elects Bipartisan Leaders
Washington DC – The Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service has elected Mark Gearan to serve as Chair and Eric Tanenblatt to serve as Vice Chair, continuing a tradition of bipartisanship that has been a hallmark of the board since its creation.
The bipartisan leadership team has extensive experience in the service movement, both having worked at the Peace Corps and served on the Corporation’s board. They bring a keen understanding of the American political process, having served in senior government positions under four Presidents.
“Mark and Eric are bipartisan leaders with decades of high-level experience who will continue to provide critical insight as we increase the impact of service in tackling our most pressing problems,” said Corporation CEO Patrick Corvington, who made the announcements at today’s spring board meeting, his first since taking office.
Tanenblatt assumed his duties immediately, and Gearan will become Chair on June 1, replacing Stephen Goldsmith, who was recently named Deputy Mayor of New York City. Goldsmith, former Mayor of Indianapolis and a top adviser to President George W. Bush, served as board chair for most of the past nine years, overseeing significant management reforms, the strengthening of programs, and an increase in bipartisan support. Goldsmith will leave the board at the end of the month.
The board sets overall policy and direction for the Corporation and its programs. The Corporation is the nation’s largest grant maker for volunteering and service, engaging more than five million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service each year through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leading the President’s United We Serve initiative.
Gearan, President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, was first appointed to the board by President Clinton in 2000, was reappointed by President Bush in 2004, and began serving his current term in 2007.
“I’m excited to take on this role at a time of growing need and momentum for service in America,” said Gearan. “I want to thank Stephen Goldsmith for his decade of leadership that strengthened our agency and programs. With the leadership of President Obama, the bipartisan support of Congress, and a renewed ethic of service across the country, we are entering an exciting era of innovation, expansion, and impact for service.”
Gearan became President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 1999, and has reinforced the Colleges’ commitment to academic rigor, global understanding, study abroad opportunities, community service and service-learning. In 1995, President Clinton appointed Gearan as the Director of the Peace Corps. Prior to this, he served as Assistant to the President and White House Director of Communications and White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
Tanenblatt is senior managing director with the international law firm of McKenna, Long and Aldridge, LLP. He leads his law firm's National Government Affairs Group, focusing on governmental and regulatory affairs at the federal, state and local levels. He has held numerous positions in federal and state government, including Chief of Staff to Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and longtime advisor to the late U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell (R-GA). He served in the Administration of President George H. W. Bush at the Peace Corps and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focusing on Congressional and intergovernmental affairs. He is the founder and past chairman of Hands on Georgia, a statewide organization to promote volunteerism.
The appointments come at a time of strong momentum for the agency and the larger volunteer sector. Volunteering increased last year to its highest level since 2003. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, passed with strong bipartisan support signed into law last April, significantly expanded existing national service programs and created new initiatives to support volunteer management and social innovation. The Corporation’s programs have generated strong interest and a high volume of applications from organizations and individuals, reflecting growing recognition that service is a valuable way to address community challenges
In other action, the board passed a resolution honoring Nicola Goren for her twelve years of distinguished service in a variety of roles at the Corporation, including Acting CEO. The board cited her leadership in ensuring a smooth transition, implementing the Recovery Act, strengthening internal operations, and carrying out the Serve America Act. Goren left the agency last month to become President of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation.
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