Senate Confirms Corvington as CEO of National Service Agency
Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Patrick Corvington by unanimous consent today to be the new Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Corvington, a recognized expert on nonprofit management and leadership, joins the agency at a time marked by unprecedented social need and support for national service.
"Patrick's years on the frontline of the service movement give him a unique understanding of the obstacles facing communities and the transformative power of service," said Stephen Goldsmith, the Chair of the Corporation's Board of Directors. "The Corporation's ability to respond to human needs, rebuild our cities and inspire more Americans to serve is more critical today than ever before. There is no doubt that Patrick's varied experience and dynamic leadership will be an asset to the Corporation. He is the right CEO at the right time."
Patrick Corvington brings more than twenty years of leadership and expertise on key issues facing the nonprofit sector including social innovation, evaluation, and nonprofit capacity building to the Corporation. Corvington's field experience coupled with his wide-ranging management experience will help the Corporation achieve higher levels of impact, innovation, and effectiveness. He most recently served as a Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Click here to read Patrick Corvington's biography.
“Patrick Corvington has devoted his career to finding solutions that address communities' unmet needs and is an expert on volunteerism, philanthropy and nonprofit capacity building,” said Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “He is well qualified to lead the Administration's agenda on community service, including the implementation of the bipartisan Serve America Act. I congratulate Patrick on this confirmation and wish him well in his new post.”
Corvington, who is of Haitian decent, was personally affected by the devastation suffered in Haiti, and worked with his community to quickly mobilize relief efforts to address the medical needs of the earthquake victims.
Corvington takes the helm of the Corporation at a pivotal moment in the agency's history and as the momentum for citizen service builds. Under President Obama's leadership, the Corporation received a record budget increase totaling $1.14 billion to support its mission, and Congress enacted the most sweeping bipartisan expansion of service in a generation – the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. Volunteering rates went up in 2009 by the largest amount since 2003, increasing by 1.5 million volunteers; the Corporation's AmeriCorps applications are three times as high as in the past; and the agency leveraged more than five million Americans in tackling the nation's most pervasive problems.
The Corporation has responded to the needs of Americans during this economic downturn – and has demonstrated that service can help address our national priorities. In fiscal 2009, 14,000 AmeriCorps members funded by the Recovery Act worked in distressed communities to meet social and economic needs; more than 835,000 disadvantaged youth engaged in innovative service projects addressing social challenges in their local communities; and the Corporation provided independent living services to more than 800,000 elderly and disabled clients.