AUGUSTA: Volunteer Maine, the State Service Commission, has hired Kelsey Preecs as its new program officer for volunteer sector initiatives. An Alaska native, Preecs will work to support volunteer programs in Maine by offering training and professional development to agency staff who work with volunteers.
Her hire comes at a crucial time, as volunteer programs and leaders in Maine look to adapt and move forward during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Preecs brings more than six years of volunteer management experience to the position. Prior to joining Volunteer Maine, she was the director of community engagement for United Way of Anchorage, Alaska.
"I am thrilled to be able to assist volunteer programs in the state as we begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic," says Preecs. "Our volunteer programs have been decimated over the last year, and it has become very apparent that the nonprofit partners and their volunteers are part of the foundation of our communities. I am looking forward to working with these agencies to strengthen Maine through volunteers."
Preecs's position is funded by a Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant awarded to Volunteer Maine in August 2020. The VGF funds are being used to support COVID-19 volunteer response in Maine, such as the creation of capacity building training for smaller community agencies in need of additional volunteer support.
"We are delighted to welcome Kelsey to our team during a time where volunteer leaders are eager to adapt how they deliver service," states Maryalice Crofton, executive director for Volunteer Maine. "The pandemic's consequences and increased community needs mean Kelsey's mission is critical. Volunteer Maine recognized that we needed someone focused solely on providing volunteer leaders with critical training and technical support so they can adapt to this new volunteer management environment."
Preecs earned her BA in Communications at Sonoma State University (CA) and then returned to her home state of Alaska to serve in AmeriCorps. After completing service, she took a position as a volunteer manager with Alaska's Catholic Social Services. She has a marketing background in the nonprofit sector and has worked as an account executive with an advertising agency in Alaska.
Please visit the Volunteer Maine website for more information on available trainings and professional development opportunities: https://www.volunteermaine.gov/volunteer-leaders
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About Volunteer Maine
Volunteer Maine, the state service commission, builds capacity and sustainability in Maine's volunteer sector by funding service programs, developing volunteer managers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of the scope and the impact of the volunteer sector, and encouraging an ethic of service. On Oct. 16, 2019, the Maine Commission for Community Service adopted the public identity Volunteer Maine.
About the Volunteer Generation Fund
The George H. W. Bush Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) is a grant program funded by AmeriCorps, a federal agency. Under the 2009 Serve America Act, VGF was established to provide funding through State Service Commissions to strengthen local volunteer programs and expands volunteerism in areas where it has not yet fully developed. With funding from the federal agency, the purpose of a Maine VGF grant is to provide support to volunteer programs in the state that are providing service in three focus areas: Aging in place, transportation services, and food security and assistance.