FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
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Corporation for National and Community Service
CONTACT: Sandy Scott
202-606-5000 x255
sscott@cns.gov |
David Eisner Confirmed as New CEO of Corporation for National and Community Service |
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Washington
D.C. — David Eisner, a former executive at AOL Time Warner and a nationally
recognized expert on nonprofit capacity-building and organizational
effectiveness, was confirmed by the Senate yesterday as the next Chief Executive
Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation
administers Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America and other domestic
service initiatives that engage Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service
to their communities and country.
"National and community service represents the best of American citizens'
commitment to our civil society and democratic values," said Eisner. "I am
extremely grateful to President Bush for nominating me, and to the Senate for
allowing me to serve in this post."
Eisner, 42, takes over from Acting CEO James F. Manning, who remains the
agency's Chief Operating Officer. In his new position, Eisner will oversee an
agency with 600 employees that supports more than 1.5 million Americans who
serve the needs of their communities through schools, nonprofits, and
faith-based and community organizations. On Monday, the House of Representatives
approved a 20 percent budget increase for the Corporation and its programs as
part of the Fiscal 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill.
"I am very eager to get to work," said Eisner. "The Corporation and our
grantees have had a difficult year, but it’s a new day. We are moving ahead,
confident in our mission, optimistic about our future, and committed to becoming
even more effective and accountable as we strengthen volunteering and service
across America. With an incredibly dedicated staff, an outstanding field, and a
historic bipartisan display of grassroots, Congressional, and Presidential
support, we are poised to engage more Americans in service to meet the needs of
our neighborhoods and nation.”
Stephen Goldsmith, Chairman of the Corporation's Board of Directors, said,
"The Corporation is very fortunate to have attracted someone with experience in
the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors – especially someone with the
organizational, management, and leadership skills that David brings to the
post."
"I am extremely pleased that we have the benefit of David's leadership to
help achieve the President's goal of increased volunteering and civic engagement
in our nation," added John Bridgeland, Assistant to the President and Director
of the USA Freedom Corps. “David will strengthen management and accountability
at the Corporation, which will help ensure that more Americans have the
opportunity to serve their communities through volunteering and national
service." The Corporation and its programs are a key component of USA Freedom
Corps, a White House initiative to foster a culture of citizenship, service, and
responsibility and to help all Americans answer President Bush's Call to
Service.
From 1997 until this year, Eisner was a Vice President at AOL Time Warner. He
also was Senior Vice President of the AOL Time Warner Foundation. At AOL, he
directed and developed the company’s charitable foundation and its pro-social
business strategy, managing a team of employees responsible for creating and
sustaining strategic relationships, coalition development, philanthropic
initiatives, and social policy issues impacting the company’s business
divisions. Eisner also led the effort to develop two leading donation and
volunteer websites: the AOL Foundation’s Helping.org, and Network for Good, a
partnership between AOL Time Warner, Cisco Systems, and Yahoo. In collaboration
with the federal government, he was also instrumental in helping to create the
USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network, the largest network of volunteer
opportunities ever assembled.
Before joining AOL, Eisner worked for four years as Senior Vice President in
the Washington, D.C., office of Fleishman-Hilliard International Communications,
one of the world’s largest public relations firms. From 1990 to 1993, he managed
public relations at the Legal Services Corporation. Eisner started his career on
Capitol Hill, serving as press secretary for three Members of Congress between
1985 and 1990: Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Bill McCollum (R-FL) and Mac Sweeney
(R-TX).
Eisner has brought his expertise in organizational development to bear as a
board member of several national nonprofit organizations, including Independent
Sector, the National 4-H Council, and Network for Good. He was a founding board
member of the Social Enterprise Alliance, which helps nonprofit groups employ
earned income strategies to build sustainability, and he also served on the
boards of the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network, which supports the
thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations that build technology
capacity within nonprofit organizations, and Technology Works for Good, which
delivers technology solutions to nonprofit organizations in the Washington,
D.C., region.
"In addition to being a strong leader, thinker, and collaborator, David has a
wealth of expertise in organizational structure and nonprofit
capacity-building," said Diana Aviv, President of Independent Sector, a national
coalition of more than 700 charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropic
programs. "We're delighted that the President has selected and the Senate has
confirmed such an inspired choice to strengthen the cause of national service
and serve the entire nonprofit sector. David knows how to work with others and
understands service and volunteerism. I am confident that under his stewardship,
the Corporation for National and Community Service will be well managed and will
flourish."
A graduate of Stanford University, Eisner received his law degree from
Georgetown University Law Center. He and his wife, Lori, live in Bethesda,
Maryland, with their four young children.
Through its various programs, the Corporation for National and Community
Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to
serve their communities and country. For more information, visit
www.nationalservice.org.
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