Reed creates position for volunteer czar

By Ernie Suggs

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Fresh off hiring a new police chief and weeks away from getting a new airport general manager, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has added a new position to his senior staff.

Buoyed by a $200,000 Cities of Service Leadership Grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Reed will add a chief service officer to direct a citywide plan to increase volunteerism and help the city respond to critical local problems. The money will be paid over two years.

“With this new position, we will increase volunteerism in a strategic manner, develop new partnerships with businesses and philanthropic leaders, implement action-oriented plans, and deliver concrete results for our residents,” Reed said. “This grant allows us to make service and civic engagement a fundamental part of how the city conducts business on a daily basis, from investing in the development of our young people to making Atlanta cleaner, greener, safer and more caring.”

Sonji Jacobs Dade, a spokeswoman for Reed, said the chief service officer would be a full-time member of the mayor’s senior staff. She said the administration expects to have someone in the position by Sept. 10.

She said the chief service officer would:

• Organize administration experts, nonprofit organizations, local universities and local funders to assess the city’s existing service levels and develop a citywide plan.

• Identify and develop relationships with local and state service partners.

• Apply for funding and resources from federal and state programs and philanthropic organizations.

“We are very excited about it,” said Gina Simpson, president of Hands on Atlanta. “This will elevate service as a key strategy to improve the quality of life in the city. I hope this will inspire others to get involved in service on a great level.”

Atlanta is on the second wave of major cities to receive grants to create the position. It was among 10 cities that were selected last month, followed by the initial 10 cities selected in January.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hired the country’s first chief service officer, Diahann Billings-Burford, in June 2009. Since then the position has sprung up in cities such as Savannah, Nashville and Sacramento, Calif.

“This is not just about getting more volunteers,” said Laurel Creech, Nashville’s chief service officer. “This is about guiding them to the true needs of the city. Any plan should include initiatives that align with the city’s needs and the administration’s’ needs.”

Creech’s first day on the job was the day Nashville was hit with its worst flooding in decades. She said she quickly had to develop efforts to address the flooding.

Keith J. Hart, who was hired as Sacramento's chief service officer in May, is directing an ambitious effort to secure 3 million hours of volunteer service this year. He said volunteers would concentrate on public safety, education, homelessness and the environment.

“This is a vehicle for Sacramento to further volunteer efforts and showcase the city as a model for service. I want to take service to the next level,” Hart said. “This is the newest thing to happen in service initiation in decades. This has never been done before.”