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Lt.
Governor pictured at ASC Award ceremony in Atlanta with Greg
Webb, Executive Director of New Mexico Commission for Community
Volunteerism and Commissioner Mark Bentley
Lt. Governor Denish receives top honor
from volunteer service commission
Award recognizes “architect” of state’s
Blueprint for Civic Engagement
SANTA FE – Lt. Governor Diane Denish on
Saturday, May 31, was recognized in Atlanta as the American
Service Commission’s “Friend of ASC” awardee. It is the major
honor given by the group, which oversees 52 state commissions on
volunteerism, the largest administrators of AmeriCorps funds in
the nation.
Tom Brannen, executive director of the
Commission, said the Lt. Governor was nominated by the chair of
its board, Bill Basl, executive director of Washington State’s
volunteerism commission.
“This award goes to leaders who have done
things to benefit our sector,” Mr. Brannen said. “Lt. Governor
Denish, as chair of the New Mexico Commission for Community
Volunteerism, has been the architect of the Blueprint for
Service. We wanted to honor her for showing leadership on what
our state governmental leaders are doing. Lt. Governor Denish is
blazing the trail for that.”
The Blueprint for Civic Engagement, published in 2006, provides
a framework for engaging New Mexicans of all ages and
backgrounds in community-based activities that address the
state's human, educational, environmental, public safety,
health, housing, and other needs. Thanks in part to the
document’s guidance, New Mexico has been one of the few states
in the nation to see an increase in federal volunteerism money
that support programs like AmeriCorps.
“We know that when people are engaged in their
communities, they become healthier, happier and more committed
to the public good,” Lt. Governor Denish said. “That’s
especially true for our youths, who are otherwise at risk of
truancy, dropping out and other illegal behaviors. Civic
engagement is good for everyone.”
Past winners of the award are Robert Goodwin, past president and
CEO of the Points of Light Foundation; Eli Segal, the founder of
AmeriCorps; and Rosie Mauk, former director of AmeriCorps, the
domestic version of Peace Corps.
Gregory Webb, executive director of the New
Mexico Commission for Community Volunteerism said: “Lt. Governor
Denish's leadership in the development of the Civic Blueprint
has served as a roadmap not only for New Mexico, but for other
states as well. Recently, the State of Colorado sent a
delegation to meet with me to discuss how Colorado could emulate
a similar plan for their state. This is a theme I am hearing
more and more from other states from across the country."
Created in 1997, ASC is dedicated to advancing
service and volunteerism in the United States. The commission
works on behalf of a network of commission members and staff,
who promote and represent all the streams of national and
community service. Attendance at this year’s National
Conference on Volunteering and Service featured an estimated 250
leaders from all 50 states and the U.S. territories. The Lt.
Governor’s award was presented at the ASC Annual Dinner at the
Downtown Hilton in Atlanta. |
