2009 Conference
The 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, June 22 - 24, 2009 in San Francisco, California, was a demonstration of civic. energy. generation.
The 2009 conference far exceeded attendance goals and inspired all, thanks to the outstanding support of sponsors. The co-convening organizations especially thank the California Host Committee and Title Sponsor Target, along with Civic Energy Sponsor Shinnyo-en Foundation and Presenting Sponsors the Entertainment Industry Foundation, The Home Depot Foundation and UPS.
The star-studded opening plenary session included a keynote address by First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as comments by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, First Lady Maria Shriver, Matthew McConaughey, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Arianna Huffington and an inspirational performance from Jon Bon Jovi. Clifford the Big Red Dog also made an appearance, and actress Kerry Washington representing the L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Awards program spoke during pre-show festivities. Thanks to BusinessBoomer, the opening general session and other significant moments were streamed live on the Internet for the world to see and be inspired.
Other conference highlights:
- Playground Build with the First Ladies: Before the conference even began, nearly 300 volunteers collaborated with the local community, First Lady Michelle Obama and California's First Lady Maria Shriver to re-build the playground of Bret Harte Elementary School in San Francisco.
- Cheers to YOU!: Following the opening plenary, attendees headed to Fort Mason for "Cheers to YOU!," a kick-off celebration sponsored by Target that included performances by eight-time Grammy award-winning artist Chaka Khan and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
- Responding to the New World — Making Sense of the Changing World and the Role of Corporate Service: Business Track Opening Forum featuring Dr. Mark Albion, Director of External Relations, The Lewis Initiative at Babson College; Sharon Allen, Chairman of the Board, Deloitte LLP; Roger Hancock, Community Relations Manager, AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah; Randy Pond, Executive Vice President, Operations, Processes, and Systems, Cisco Systems, Inc.; and Bobbi Silten, Chief Foundation Officer, Gap Inc.
- Forum: Service as a Solution: Service and the Road to Economic Recovery featuring moderator Dr. Julianne Malveaux, President, Bennett College for Women, and panelists Stephen Jordan, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the Business Civic Leadership Center, United States Chamber of Commerce; Kirstin Lodal, Co-Founder and CEO, LIFT; and Eileen Fitzgerald, COO, NeighborWorks.
- Forum: Service as a Solution: Civic Engagement for Student Achievement, featuring panelists Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and CEO, PolicyLink; Anthony Salcito, General Manager for U.S. Enterprise Education Business, Microsoft; Eric Schwarz, President and CEO, Citizen Schools; James H. Shelton, III, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education; and Lisa Spinali, Executive Director, San Francisco School Volunteers.
- Forum: Service as a Solution: Leadership and Action for a Green Economy, featuring panelists Ray Rivera, Director of External Affairs, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior and Sally Prouty, Presidentand CEO, The Corps Network.
- Forum: Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical Challenges, with opening remarks by Shannon Schuyler, U.S. Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility, PricewaterhouseCoopers and panelists Cheryl Dorsey, President Echoing Green; Sarah Di Troia, Partner, New Profit Inc.; Steve Goldsmith, Vice Chair, Corporation for National and Community Service; Ian Hardman, President, Management Leadership for Tomorrow; and Michele Jolin, Senior Advisor for Social Innovation, Domestic Policy Council, The White House.
- Generation Now: Business Leaders for Change CEO Roundtable moderated by David Gergen, Professor of Public Service and Director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School, and CNN Senior Political Analyst. Panelists included John Donahoe, President & CEO, eBay, Inc.; David Pillsbury, President of PGA Tour Golf Course Properties, EVP Championship Management, PGA Tour Golf Course Properties; Lisa Mascolo, U.S. Country Managing Director, Accenture LTD.; Mark Schiller, President, Quaker Foods and Snacks; Ephren Taylor II, CEO, City Capital Corporation; and John Veihmeyer, CEO, KPMG LLP.
- Exploring Service Learning in the City Immersion learning sessions offered conference attendees the opportunity to venture into San Francisco for first-hand service learning experiences in a city familiar with innovation. Participants traveled to venues including Golden Gate National Park, Glide Memorial United Methodist Church and Goodwill Industries to explore topics such as integrating people of all generations and backgrounds in volunteerism, leveraging social media and best practices in aligning with national brands.
- Cisco Energy Exchange The Cisco Energy Exchange, an exhibit hall where attendees could visit booths for more than 60 businesses and organizations relevant to service, was a favorite spot for attendees seeking to network and broaden their awareness of the sector. The Cisco Energy Exchange hosted an Energy Stage with entertainment during conference breaks, and the Cbeyond Internet Cafe, where attendees could access the Internet while away from home.
- Going Green Thanks to the support of The Home Depot Foundation, the Official Green Sponsor, the 2009 conference was one of the most environmentally-friendly conferences in history. Many session materials were posted online to avoid printing, attendees were encouraged to recycle and the size of the program book was reduced drastically.
- The Next Level: Social Media The conference co-conveners leveraged social media in innovative ways for the conference this year as well. The official National Conference on Volunteering and Service blog and Twitter feed were updated consistently prior to and during the conference, and attendees were encouraged to utilize the National Conference on Volunteering and Service hashtag in their own social media communications. The co-conveners also activated a text messaging system to communicate program changes to attendees.
- Closing Plenary Session Conference attendees were treated to a panel moderated by David Gergen, professor of Public Service and Director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School, and CNN Senior Political Analyst, during the closing plenary session. Panelists Megan Smith, Vice President New Business Development, Google; Sonal Shah, Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, The White House; Dr. Robert Ross, President and CEO of The California Endowment; and Sean Parker, the Founding President of Facebook, engaged in a lively dialogue. Additionally, environmentalist, businessman and author Paul Hawken shared his predictions about the future of the environmental and social justice movements. The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus provided entertainment, and Karen Baker, Secretary of Service and Volunteering for the State of California; Harumitsu Inouye, CEO of Shinnyo-en Foundation; Kelly Cafarelli of The Home Depot Foundation; and Andrew Plepler, Foundation President, Bank of America, made remarks. Nicola Goren and Michelle Nunn provided closing commentary for the conference and shared the exciting announcement of New York City as the location for the 2010 conference.
General Sessions
Opening Session
Monday, June 22, 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Sponsored by Shinnyo-en Foundation
First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off the opening plenary session with a keynote address, confirming the Presidential Administration's commitment to service and announcing the United We Serve initiative. Obama explained that United We Serve is a sustained effort to expand the size and impact of volunteer efforts in America. United We Serve kicked off at the conference and runs for 81 days through a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11. She also announced an initiative of the Entertainment Industry Foundation: during the week of October 19, plots and themes on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC television programming will center on volunteering to inspire Americans to serve.
Other highlights from the opening plenary of the conference include comments by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, First Lady Maria Shriver, Matthew McConaughey, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Arianna Huffington and an inspirational performance from Jon Bon Jovi. Clifford the Big Red Dog also made an appearance, and actress Kerry Washington representing the L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Awards program spoke during pre-show festivities. Thanks to BusinessBoomer, the opening general session and other significant moments were streamed live on the Internet for the world to see and be inspired.
"This is the key point I want to make today — that this new Administration doesn't view service as separate from our national priorities, or in addition to our national priorities — we see it as the key to achieving our national priorities. We believe that the only way to build that new foundation for our economy is to establish a new role for service in this country."
— First Lady Michelle Obama
Get HandsOn
HandsOn Network introduced Get HandsOn, the network's strategic response to the President's call to service and United We Serve. Through the initiative, HandsOn Network aims to recruit and mobilize a corps of 500,000 volunteer leaders and engage people of all generations in two million impact-driven projects. The goals of the campaign are to reduce the drop-out rate by leveraging the power
of service in every school, reduce the carbon footprint though neighborhood-based conservation and restoration projects; and support economic security for families by facilitating access to resources and dollars. Lean more about Get HandsOn.
Closing Session
Wednesday, June 24, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Sponsored by UPS
Conference attendees were treated to a panel moderated by David Gergen, professor of Public Service and Director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School, and CNN Senior Political Analyst, during the closing plenary session. Panelists Megan Smith, Vice President New Business Development, Google; Sonal Shah, Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, The White House; Dr. Robert Ross, President and CEO of The California Endowment; and Sean Parker, the Founding President of Facebook, engaged in a lively dialogue. Additionally, environmentalist, businessman and author Paul Hawken shared his predictions about the future of the environmental and social justice movements. The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus provided entertainment, and Karen Baker, Secretary of Service and Volunteering for the State of California; Harumitsu Inouye, CEO of Shinnyo-en Foundation; Kelly Cafarelli of The Home Depot Foundation; and Andrew Plepler, Foundation President, Bank of America, made remarks. Nicola Goren and Michelle Nunn provided closing commentary for the conference and shared the exciting announcement of New York City as the location for the 2010 conference.
University of Phoenix: The New Premier Partner of HandsOn University
Points of Light Institute was also excited to announce a late-breaking partnership at the conference that will enable HandsOn Network to mobilize for United We Serve at a tremendous scale. With their experiences, resources and online learning platform, University of Phoenix will partner with HandsOn Network to transform the capacity of people to take action and self-organize during United We Serve and beyond. As the premiere partner of HandsOn University, University of Phoenix will sponsor the first-ever Get HandsOn Summit in November 2009, an event that will involve volunteer leaders from across the country.
Immersion Learning Sessions
Exploring Service Learning in the City
Immersion learning sessions offered conference attendees the opportunity to venture into San Francisco for first-hand service learning experiences in a city familiar with innovation. Participants traveled to venues including Golden Gate National Park, Glide Memorial United Methodist Church and Goodwill Industries to explore topics such as integrating people of all generations and backgrounds in volunteerism, leveraging social media and best practices in aligning with national brands.
Special Events
Playground Build with the First Ladies
Before the conference even began, nearly 300 volunteers collaborated with the local community, First Lady Michelle Obama and California's First Lady Maria Shriver to re-build the playground of Bret Harte Elementary School in San Francisco. The project, sponsored by CaliforniaVolunteers, honored the life and legacy of Cesar E. Chavez. It was Shriver's 31st playground build in the state of California, and the finished project will be the nation's first fully intergenerational playground, providing a space for people of all ages to come together and play. In addition to play equipment, the completed outdoor area will include a community garden, a greenhouse project, an outdoor classroom and a mural of Cesar Chavez. Chavez's granddaughter also addressed the crowd to honor her grandfather's legacy.
Cheers to YOU!
Following the opening plenary, attendees headed to Fort Mason for "Cheers to YOU!," a kick-off celebration sponsored by Target. Attendees were treated to performances by eight-time Grammy award-winning artist Chaka Khan and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, acclaimed international ambassadors of American culture, while enjoying great food and a chance to network with new friends.
Civic. Energy. Generation. Film Festival
For the first time in the history of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, attendees had the privilege of attending a film festival as part of the conference program. The Way We Get By and American Idealist: The Story of Sergeant Shriver, two award-winning, service-oriented films, were screened during the civic. energy. generation. Film Festival. As a surprise for attendees, Jerry Mundy, a volunteer featured in The Way We Get By, and producer Gita Pullapilly greeted guests following the screening.
Exhibit Hall
The exhibit hall is an important, interactive arm of the conference that brings attendees together with exhibiting organizations to unite for a cause, to network for progress, to learn and to exchange knowledge of their own areas of the service sector.
The 2009 exhibit hall, "The Cisco Energy Exchange," included:
- 65 booths of dedicated organizations and companies served as storytelling hubs where employees shared stories of how they are increasing the call to service nationally and worldwide. View a full list of exhibitors and their contact information.
- Food and beverage stations provided refreshments for purchase, and seating areas were great networking spots for conference attendees.
- The Idealist Career Center provided information and guidance for career and service-minded individuals within the non-profit sector through conversations with staff and tutelage via mini-workshops at their booth.
- The Energy Stage acted as a mouthpiece for organizations to further their message through giveaways, motivational speakers and audience interaction. View a full list of presenters and their contact information.
- The Cisco Cyber Cafe was open to all registered conference attendees, offering online computer access for attendees to check e-mail while away from home.
- The Civic Energy Bookstore was the exclusive and inaugural conference-sponsored bookstore. Local independent bookseller Bookshop West Portal provided an excellent selection of sector-related reading material and knowledgeable customer service as another area for attendees to learn, connect and inspire.
