This is the second installment of the NCAVA Board Member Q&A series where our current President-Elect, and resident team motivator, Jack Henry participated in a quick interview about his role on the board. As a reminder, These Q&As are a quick way to learn about the different board positions and to also learn about the members currently holding them. The Board highly encourages anyone interested in learning more about stepping into a leadership role to reach out to us for more information. Become a leader of NCAVA, become a leader of the profession!
Having started out as an NCAVA Regional Director, Jack brings an enthusiasm for recruiting new members to the organization as well as a vision to help CEOs understand the value in the professional development of volunteer administrators. As you will see from the interview below, the President-Elect role is not just shadowing the President to eventually lead the organization, it also is a role that works with our Vice President of Membership to guide recruitment and build value for our industry.
Interview with Jack Henry, President-Elect of NCAVA:
Q: Hello Jack. Our members work in a wide variety of organizations. Where do you work and what is your job title? Can you give us a bit of background as to what you do and your experience working with volunteers?
A: I work for the YMCA of WNC as the Director of People Operations. I direct a volunteer program with about 1500 volunteers, influencing and leading 5 volunteer coordinators and other supervisors who are over staff and volunteers. I am also the lead employment recruiter and director of human resources operations. I have done this for three years for the YMCA. I also am the Community Relations Chair at The Land of the Sky Association of Volunteer Administrators (LOSAVA), an NCAVA local affiliate.
Previous to my role at the Y, I have worked with volunteers on and off for about 12 years internationally, hosting short and long-term volunteers as they worked in various non-profits that I worked at. One of those non-profits was my own, which was dedicated to the cultural preservation of Indigenous Peoples in Panama.
Q: In addition to your day-job, what is your current position on the board and have you held any others? How long have you been on the board?
A: I am currently the President-Elect of NCAVA. I started out as a Western Regional Director and have been a board member for two years.
Q: What are your main duties as President-Elect?
A: I meet on a regular basis with the President to ensure the successful operation of the organization. I also shadow the President to understand all functions of that role in preparation for taking over after her term is complete. The President-Elect role is just the first of three roles that the President holds. You start with a two-year President-Elect term, then a two-year term as President, then finally become Immediate Past President. These three different roles, allow for ample mentorship throughout the leadership terms and help ease the transition between leaders.
I also work with the Immediate Past President and Regional Directors to establish 3 membership fairs in the state (one in each region) and help set and develop quantifiable goals for our Regional Directors.
Lastly, I review and revise job descriptions in conjunction with the Executive Board. One of these reviews this year had me assisting the VP of Membership, who is also currently the Past President, in coordinating efforts for the Regional Directors to establish new meaningful contacts for NCAVA in the three regions.
Q: Stepping into the President-Elect role means that you will be our next president and helping to set goals for the organization as a whole. What goals are you currently working on in this position that you would like to see continued?
A: I am hoping to find new and innovative ways to drive up membership and knowledge of NCAVA's amazing benefits to the profession. One of those ways was mentioned above in creating concrete and realistic goals for the Regional Directors. Another goal is to examine membership structures and member benefits, to see how we can remain relevant as a professional development organization into the future.
Q: Speaking of helping to market the benefits of NCAVA, how has volunteering on the board benefited you as a professional?
A: I have developed organizational skills for leadership in my own job. I have deeply understood the benefits of CAVNC certification, which has made me feel confident that I am applying best practices in my professional field. It has given me the confidence to help start a new NCAVA Western Region affiliate called Land of the Sky Association of Volunteer Administration (LOSAVA). It has also given me board experience I did not previously have and am now serving on three other professional leadership committees.
Q: What recommendations would you give to anyone looking to join the NCAVA Board?
A: I would recommend you apply and ask about the realistic commitment levels of each position. Very few of our board positions require more than 4 dedicated hours of work on average monthly. The board covers mileage and meals for quarterly meetings, as well as expenses for an overnight annual retreat.
Please talk to your supervisor before making a commitment and talk to us before having that conversation. The board has resources that will make the case for you to perform duties for the NCAVA board "on the clock" and how it directly benefits your strategic goals as an organization that relies upon volunteers.
Thanks for talking a bit about your role as President-Elect. Let’s move into some more general “get to know you” questions.
Q: What advice would you give a new Volunteer Coordinator? Or What was the best advice you have received about working with volunteers?
A: COME TO CONFERENCE! It is the best way to "get out of your rut", find new ideas, grow your program, and find camaraderie with people who "get it".
Q: Volunteer coordination takes a wide range of skills. What job or experience other than volunteer coordination prepared you for the job?
A: Community Development Work
Q: Do you volunteer in your spare time or do you have any places you would like to volunteer?
A: I volunteer on a faith community social justice committee, special projects in my community like building a tiny house village for those experiencing homelessness, as well as at my kids' school.
Q: This last one is not really related to volunteer administration, but is just fun. Where is your favorite place to be when not at work?
A: In the sun and in the forest!
Jack, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. So far we are two for two with answers about being in nature when not at work! NCAVA President, Erin, responded with “Mountains or Lake!” so it looks like we are an outdoorsy bunch so far.
Be sure and check out a recent article that Jack wrote that covers a conversation he had with his CEO about the value of professionally developing volunteer administrators. You can find it here.
If anyone is interested in learning more about joining the board, NCAVA in general, or how to submit an article to NCAVA Times, please email ncavacommunicationsteam@gmail.com. We can also provide the official job descriptions of any board positions you may be interested in reading.
This NCAVA Times Article was written by:
Mary Owens
Resource Development Manager
City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
(Your name could be here! submit article ideas to ncavacommunicationsteam@gmail.com )