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MEMBERS ONLY: PEER NETWORK
Members
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Kim Sanecki, City of Coral Springs, Florida
Kim Sanecki is one of the founding members of NAVPLG, which got its start in October of 1997. Kim was attending the Association for Volunteer Administration conference that year in Norfork, Virginia, where she was a part of a lively discussion about starting an association for volunteer managers in local government. The meeting was hosted by the National Association of Counties (NACo) as part of the Volunteerism Project. Kim said, “There was an amazing amount of electricity in the room during that meeting. It was very exciting to be there and to be part of it. I have often wished that I could have bottled that excitement and passion so I could sprinkle it on the new NAVPLG board every year.”
Kim later served as president of NAVPLG for two non-consecutive terms. Her active role with NAVPLG has also extended to serving as the newsletter editor and being on the pre-conference and historical committees. Being NAVPLG president gave Kim a unique opportunity
to experience something totally out of the ordinary. She said the highlight of her career was attending the kick-off ceremony for the International Year of the Volunteer at the United Nations headquarters in New York in November, 2000. The United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed 2001 as the International Year of the Volunteer. As NAVPLG president, Kim was invited to be there and be part of our important history.Another fun aspect of serving as president of NAVPLG was being a judge for NACo’s Acts of Caring awards. This is a traditional role for the immediate past president of NAVPLG as well as attending the awards ceremony that takes place each spring in our nation’s capital.
The City of Coral Springs, Florida, has been Kim’s work home for the past twenty years. For the last thirteen years, she has served as the volunteer services coordinator. With the inspiration and approval from the Chief of Police, she implemented the volunteer program in the Police Department and within a year the City Manager approved a city wide program. The Police Department continues to be the largest user of volunteers.
An interesting group of volunteers that she works with is the Seniors vs. Crime Project. This successful program started after Hurricane Wilma and is a partnership with the Florida Attorney General’s office. Senior volunteers help other seniors who feel they have been victimized or taken advantage of by a business or service provider. The volunteers have logged more than 1,200 hours and have recovered more than $72,800 in actual dollars and more than $47,900 worth of recovered property.
One of the big challenges in Kim’s work life is not having enough hours in a day. She commented that she has found great joy in forming relationships with volunteers, staff, and members of the community. Her advice to NAVPLG members is, “Be persistent. You are in a challenging but noble profession doing something that is for the greater good. Being
persistent in everything you do will provide results in the communities that you serve.” Kim has found that being a member of NAVPLG has been energizing. She finds it great to have colleagues to discuss and debate issues with, and more importantly, learn from. She said, “It is really meaningful to meet new people and make new friends. Professionally, it is important to have connections with others in the field and to have the opportunity to make even stronger connections through NAVPLG.”
This article item was contributed by Nancy Anderson, Coordinator of Volunteers, City of Plymouth, Minnesota.