Kathy McKim Honored for Outstanding Leadership and Support for National Service

Commissioner Recognized at Annual Friends of National Service Awards

WASHINGTON, DC –Voices for National Service today honored CaliforniaVolunteers Commissioner Kathy McKim with the Citizen Service Award for her tireless efforts to strengthen service locally, statewide, and nationally, as well as for her ongoing efforts to help enhance the skills of AmeriCorps members and alumni.

McKim was honored along with 17 other distinguished leaders in government, business and journalism at the 14th Annual Friends of National Service Awards in Washington, DC. Previous award winners include Senator John McCain, General Collin Powell, Chelsea Clinton, Caroline Kennedy, and more.

“Kathy McKim is the premiere role model for a bold and caring corporate leader,” said CaliforniaVolunteers Chief Service Officer Karen Baker.  “Her passion for service has greatly benefited her city, her state, and the nation.  It’s leaders like Kathy who start making a difference in one market, and before you know it, she’s innovating an entire field.”

“Kathy McKim has been instrumental in bringing results-driven national service programs to her community,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President, Voices of National Service.  “Kathy’s passion for service is seemingly endless. She chaired the local boards of both City Year Sacramento and Teach For America, spearheads the AmeriCorps Advantage Program which helps AmeriCorps members effectively navigate career options, and actively engages AT&T employees in one-on-one mentoring. In recognition of her tireless efforts to advance service initiatives in California, Voices for National Service is proud to honor Kathy McKim with the Citizen Service Award.”

The annual Friends of National Service Awards is an opportunity for Voices for National Service to recognize leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who have contributed to building a culture of citizenship, service and responsibility in America. A full list of the 2017 awards and honorees is available here.

In communities across the country, national service members of all ages and backgrounds provide critical services to fulfill unmet needs.  National service members tutor and mentor struggling students, help Americans lead healthier lives, provide job training and other services to returning veterans, preserve the nation’s parks and public lands, offer disaster relief and recovery assistance after natural disasters and support independent living for seniors and Americans with disabilities.  For every federal dollar invested in national service, there are returns to society of nearly four dollars in terms of higher earnings, increased output and other community-wide benefits.

Congress created the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that oversees national service programs such as AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, to be a public-private partnership that invests limited federal dollars to leverage substantial private investment to improve lives and communities.  In 2015, CNCS generated $1.26 billion in outside resources from private businesses, foundations, and other sources, an amount exceeding the federal appropriation.  Furthermore, a recent survey of AmeriCorps alumni found that eight out of 10 alumni say AmeriCorps benefited and advanced their career path, and that AmeriCorps alumni are more likely to attain a bachelor’s degree or higher than the average American adult.

The 14^th Annual Friends of National Service Awards is sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal and CSX.

Kathy McKim, the Vice President of External Affairs at AT&T, is the Vice Chair of the CaliforniaVolunteers Commission.

About CaliforniaVolunteers

CaliforniaVolunteers is the state office that manages programs and initiatives to increase the number of Californians involved with service and volunteering, including the state AmeriCorps program and the management of volunteers and monetary donations during times of disasters. For more information, please visit www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org.

About Voices for National Service
Voices for National Service is a diverse coalition of national and local service programs, state service commissions and individual champions, who work to ensure Americans of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to serve and volunteer in their community. Founded in 2003, Voices for National Service has built strong bipartisan support among our nation’s leaders and helped to elevate national service as a powerful strategy for tackling unmet needs, preparing young people for work, uniting our country and developing civic character.

 

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