By: Wendy Spencer

On December 31, Bill Basl will step down as Director of AmeriCorps after four and a half years of exceptional leadership at CNCS.   Bill’s departure – part of the normal transition that occurs at the end of an Administration – culminates a distinguished five-decade career advancing national service and volunteerism at the national, state, and local level.   It also marks the beginning of a new chapter in his lifelong passion for this work, as Bill will continue to be an active voice in service in the United States and throughout the world.

Bill began his service journey as a VISTA Volunteer in Washington State in 1970.  He has served on the staff of three Governors and helped support and design the concepts that eventually became part of the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, which created AmeriCorps.  He served as the first Executive Director of the Washington Commission, a position he held since helping form the Commission in 1993.  At the Commission, Bill founded the nation’s first veterans’ corps, developed innovative partnerships to expand national service, and promoted service and the role of State Commissions on the national level.

Since taking the helm of AmeriCorps in July 2012, Bill has supported efforts to streamline the AmeriCorps grant application process, helped create the new regional training conferences, initiated the Governor Mayor application concept, helped create the Delta Corps which places AmeriCorps members in needy areas of the Mississippi Delta, and encouraged new efforts to engage youth 14 and above in summer service opportunities.  He also was an early supporter of new AmeriCorps research to bring similar programs together to more efficiently utilize program funds to support these efforts.

Reflecting on his time as AmeriCorps Director, Bill said: