4,200 volunteer leaders to converge on Atlanta June 1-3

Atlanta – Former President Jimmy Carter, Rep. John Lewis, Fortune 500 CEOs, Senators William Cohen and Sam Nunn, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Martin Luther King III, and young social entrepreneurs will address volunteer sector leaders from across the nation this June 1-3 at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Atlanta.

The annual conference is the world’s largest gathering on volunteering and service. More than 4,200 attendees will come together for three days of education, training and networking with the aim of expanding the ranks and effectiveness of America’s 61 million volunteers in improving lives and strengthening communities.

The range of speakers reflects the growing recognition from the presidential campaign to Congress to corporate America of the essential role volunteers play in tackling tough problems of illiteracy, high school dropouts, homelessness, disasters, and poverty. Last year America’s volunteers gave 8 billion hours of service valued at an estimated $157 billion, providing critical support to schools, shelters, hospitals, hotlines and other organizations.

Co-convened by the Points of Light & Hands On Network and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the conference will feature 175 workshops, high level speakers, two volunteer service projects, six immersion learning sessions, 70 exhibitors, and more. The conference theme, “The Urgency of Now,” is inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and is a call to action for a new generation of civic leaders.

Media are welcome to cover the conference. Credentials are available from Sandy Scott at sscott@cns.gov or 202-355-2173 or by visiting the Conference Media Room in International A of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Conference highlights are below, and a complete schedule is available at http://www.volunteeringandservice.org/.

Sunday, June 1

4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Opening Plenary
Georgia World Congress Center

The conference kicks off with a series of national and regional speakers highlighting the Urgency of Now and calling for a new wave of service and social entrepreneurship to meet social needs. Plenary session speakers include Congressman John Lewis, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Henry Lozano, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director, USA Freedom Corps; Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter; Lisa Hamilton, President of the UPS Foundation; and host committee co-chairs Eric Tanenblatt and Ann Cramer. Corporation for National and Community Service CEO David Eisner and Board Chair Stephen Goldsmith will address describe the growing momentum for volunteering and serve; and Points of Light & Hands On Network CEO Michelle Nunn and Board Chair Neil Bush will discuss their recently merged organization and the key role played by their 370 civic hubs that manage millions of volunteers and 50,000 volunteer projects each year.

Monday, June 2

8:00 am to 9:30 am
CEO Roundtable on Corporate Responsibility NOW
Crystal Ballroom, Hilton

A panel of CEOs of major American companies will discuss the growth in corporate social responsibility, employee volunteer programs, pro bono service, and how corporate America is an engine for change to address some of our nation’s toughest challenges. Companies demonstrating outstanding CSR leadership will be honored with Awards for Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs and Spirit of Service Corporate Awards. Speakers include Ed Fikse, Managing Director, U.S., Accenture, Ltd; Pierre Ferrari, Chair of the Board of Directors for Ben and Jerry’s; Michael Frazier, Chairman & CEO, Genworth Financial, Inc.; Mark Hass, CEO, Manning, Selvage & Lee; Ralph Shrader, Chairman & CEO, Booz Allen Hamilton; and Joe Green, CEO, Project Agape (Co-Founders of Facebook).

9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Youth Leadership Academy
Martin Luther King Center, 449 Auburn Ave NE

More than 50 middle school students from metro Atlanta will attend a leadership academy in conjunction with the National Conference where they will learn leadership skills, participate in a public art project, and plan community service projects to carry out this summer and in the coming school year. Zach Hunter, a 16-year-old Atlanta resident, author, and founder of an anti-slavery campaign called Loose Change to Loosen Change, will give a keynote address at 11:30, and the public art service project takes place from 1:30 to 4:00 at an art warehouse at 10 Krog Street near the King Center.

2:15 pm to 5:00 pm
Immersion Learning Sessions
Various Locations

Leaders of NOW: Rocking the World One Community at a Time
Spelman College, Crosby Auditorium, 350 Spellman Lane S.W.

Led by CNN news anchor Nicole Lapin, young social entrepreneurs will share how they are mobilizing people and communities across the country to change our world. Speakers include Barbara Metzler, author of Passionaries: Turning Compassion into Action, Zach Hunter, founder of Loose Change to Loosen Chains; Shauna Fleming, founder of A Million Thanks; Haley Kilpatrick, founder of Girl Talk; Divine Bradley, founder of Team Revolution; Kirsten Lodal, CEO and co-founder of National Student Partnerships; Jason Carter, author and grandson of the former president; and B-boy Fidget with the Hip Hop Handbook Tour. Session includes videos, performances, and interactive segments.

Volunteering in America: Innovative Strategies for Plugging the Leaky Bucket
Hilton Grand Ballroom, Hilton Atlanta Hotel, 255 Courtland Street NE

Every year the nonprofit sector loses $30 billion because one third of their volunteers drop out. A panel of nonprofit CEOs and experts will discuss volunteer retention including effective human capital strategies, new technologies, and the changing demographics of volunteering. Speakers include Karen Baker, California Secretary of Service and Volunteering, Bob Grimm, Corporation for National & Community Service; Greg Baldwin, President, Volunteer Match; Dr. Jennifer Howse, President, March of Dimes; and Michael Watson, Senior Vice President, Girl Scouts of the USA.

Nonviolence to Service for Social Justice
Ebenezer Baptist Church, 407 Auburn Ave. N.E.

Speakers will discuss the principle of nonviolence and how it applies to today’s service and volunteer movement. Speakers include Isaac Farris, Jr., CEO, King Center; Elisabeth Williams Omilami, actress and founder of Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless; Jason Carter, lawyer and former Peace Corps Volunteer; and Dr. W. Wilson Goode, former Philadelphia Mayor and National Director of the Amachi Program, a faith-based mentoring program for children of incarcerated parents.

Engaging the Poor and People of Color in Organized Service: Challenges and Opportunities
Grand Ballroom B, Hilton Atlanta Hotel, 255 Courtland Street NE

What do we need to know, and what can we do, to engage more disadvantaged citizens and people of color in volunteer and service programs? A diverse panel of experts will discuss current trends and strategies including James B. Hyman, Ph.D.; Garland Yates, Sr. Fellow, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Armando Rayo, Director of Hands On Central Texas; John Jackson, President, Schott Foundation for Public Education; and Byron Amos, CEO, Capacity Builders Inc.

University-Community Partnerships: A Mutually Beneficial Alliance For Students And Community
Carter Center, 453 Freedom Parkway

Speakers will discuss innovative models for university-community partnerships and how these partnerships benefits students, universities, and the community. Sue Sehgal, Founder & President, Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation, will moderate the session, which will also include a presentation of the Carter Campus Partnership Awards.

Building Communities from the Inside Out
Crystal Ballroom C, Hilton Atlanta Hotel, 255 Courtland Street NE

This session answers the age old question: with so many people working in nonprofits why doesn’t meaningful change come even faster? Attendees will learn how to harness community assets to produce a greater impact with noted author and speaker Dr. Jody Kretzmann of the Asset-based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University and speakers from The Leadership Practice at Public Allies.

2:15 pm to 5:30 pm
National Conference Service Projects for Atlanta
2 Locations

More than 150 conference attendees and Atlanta volunteers will put the conference mission into action with two hands on service projects to benefit the Atlanta community.

Samaritan House: Volunteers will paint interior and exterior walls, landscape, conduct repairs; and create a wall mural at Samaritan House of Atlanta, which transforms lives by helping homeless men and women achieve self-sufficiency through personalized employment readiness and life stabilization programs. Samaritan House, 458 Edgewood Ave. S.E.

KIPP WAYS Academy: Volunteers will landscape, repair and build outdoor learning environments, paint murals and enhance classrooms at KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) West Atlanta Young Scholars (WAYS) Academy, one of more than fifty college-preparatory schools operating in low-income urban and rural communities throughout the country. KIPP Ways Academy, 80 Joseph Lowery Blvd.

Tuesday, June 3

10:00 am to 11:30 am
Cohen-Nunn Dialogue on Citizen Service
Marriott Marquis Ballroom

Former Senator Sam Nunn and former Secretary of Defense William Cohen will lead a discussion on national service as part of a series of policy forums presented by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Gillman Foundation. The dialogue will explore the important role of citizens in addressing our nation's problems and the need for tapping in to America's greatest resource by calling the nation to service. Speakers include Sam Nunn, William Cohen, Alan Khazei, CEO of Be The Change and Co-Founder of City Year, and Captain Wesley Moore, US Army Reserves, former White House Fellow.

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Closing General Session
Georgia World Congress Center

The closing general session will inspire attendees to go back home with new energy and ideas for ushering in increased levels of service and community engagement. Presenters include President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter and presentation of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Campus Community Partnership Foundation Award; Senator Sam Nunn; Grammy award-winning singer/song-writer Michael W. Smith; John Bridgeland, CEO of Civic Enterprises; Jean Case, Chair of President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation; Brad Shaw, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications and External Affairs, The Home Depot; and Jane E. Smith, Ed.D., Executive Director, Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, Spelman College; Sue Sehgal, Founder & President, Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation; and Scarlett Pressley-Brown, General Manager of Community Affairs for Delta Airlines.

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service is the premier annual gathering of leaders in the volunteer and national service fields. Co-convened by the Points of Light & Hands On Network and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the 2008 conference will bring together more than 4,200 top leaders, experts, and practitioners for three days of professional development, networking, and inspiration. Corporate sponsors of the event are Coca Cola, Delta Airlines, Target, UPS, The Home Depot, Delta, Kaiser Permanente, Disney, KPMG, ING, Altria, the Coca Cola Company, Accenture, Washington Mutual, the Chrysler Foundation, IBM, L’Oreal, and Macy’s. For more information, visit http://www.volunteeringandservice,org.

Points of Light & Hands On Network is a national nonprofit whose core mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes the world. More information on the organization is at http://www.handsonnetwork.org.

The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year the Corporation engages more than four million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to meet local needs through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.

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