| Pat Easterbrook will end her service as our Volunteer Coordinator at the end of this academic year. Before she wraps up her term and hands off the Volunteer Coordinator role to two incoming Co-Coordinators (we’ll introduce you to them next year), we wanted to give you the opportunity to learn more about Pat and what she does in the Volunteer Coordinator role. |
| Originally from California, Pat arrived in North Carolina with her husband Jim, following stints living in Hawaii, Texas and the DC area, among others, as Jim worked as an Army doctor. Pat worked as an airline stewardess, in sales for a temporary staffing agency, as a teacher, and in curriculum development. Her children and grandchildren live in Maryland and Florida. Before she retired, Pat and her husband Jim were looking for a place to take Great Decisions, and they stumbled into and joined Encore (now OLLI). Pat has been a member of our organization for just over 20 years, during which time she has served as Membership Development & Marketing Committee Chair, Class Host, Class Ambassador, and now Volunteer Coordinator. Last year, we were delighted to recognize Pat and Volunteer Co-Coordinator Diane Schroeder with OLLI’s Betty Poulton Volunteer of the Year Award. Like all OLLI volunteers on operating committees, Pat has an assigned staff liaison to support her in her role. As Volunteer Coordinator works most closely with Lindsey Hale, OLLI’s Special Programs Coordinator. Lindsey says, “Pat has been a tremendous asset to OLLI as our Volunteer Coordinator. She is gracious, welcoming and tenacious. This year, I’ve been especially pleased at the connections she builds in the Triangle, especially the Green Chair Project and Dress for Success organizations.” What does the volunteer coordinator do? Pat says she’s always looking for volunteer activities around the Raleigh area that might appeal to a variety of members. OLLI’s volunteer activities can help serve as an introduction to how to get involved in the community – especially for members who are new to the area – and they can provide opportunities to volunteer in the community for members who don’t yet have the time to take on a more regular volunteer commitment. While OLLI may only volunteer at a particular location once a year, Pat notes that she often sees members who participate in OLLI’s group volunteer projects find organizations they connect with become more involved with those organizations outside of OLLI throughout the year. For Pat personally, volunteering with the Green Chair Project was particularly impactful. Their mission resonated with her, as did their philosophy that clients should have buy in. Like many of the organizations where OLLI offers volunteer opportunities, Green Chair Project is homegrown and is trying to meet a need specifically for people in the Wake County area. As Volunteer Coordinator, Pat also serves on Advisory Council, and she says she loves it because Advisory Council gives her the opportunity to meet people she would not have met in other ways. “Advisory Council is a special level of OLLI engagement. It’s fun to see how much, how engaged OLLI is because of those engaged members. These are the people who have committed to spending time thinking about where OLLI wants to go. They’ve seen and noticed and prioritized.” As she rotates off of Advisory Council this year, she’s also helping to shape the future of OLLI. Pat recently served as the Advisory Council Nominating Committee Chair. OLLI’s Advisory Council has nine at-large members, who serve three year staggered terms. Each year, a three person nominating committee is convened and charged with recommending at-large members to join Advisory Council the following year. Nominating committee members are given lists of all of OLLI’s current volunteers and asked to bring forward their ideas for member volunteers who could add perspective to Advisory Council’s discussions. As a group, they discuss their ideas and ultimately come to a consensus on three members to nominate. Of the process Pat says, “It’s a good process with clear criteria. The member has shown an interest in being engaged in OLLI through their volunteerism.” Pat says she enjoyed learning about prospective members that she didn’t know and making new connections with others when she ultimately contacted each of these prospective at-large members and asked if they would be willing to be nominated. Thank you, Pat, for the many ways you have contributed to OLLI at NC State! |
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