Register Now For ‘Onboard Oneonta,’

Where Panel Will Discuss Involvement

By CATHY B. KOPLEN • for AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – Communities do not progress in vacuums. Volunteers are always needed to fulfill a civic duty.

“The community is not run by a few people, it has to be all of the people for communities to work,” said Luisa Montanti, Southside Mall manager, who is offering her expertise as part of a panel offering advice and information to those interested in community service and involvement.

“On Board Oneonta: Inspiring Community Involvement in Our Region,” is an event in which area community leaders and volunteers will speak to individuals about the benefits and responsibilities of volunteer who sit on board and committees.

The event will be at 7 p.m. next Thursday, Sept. 24, at Foothills Performing Arts Center.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR ‘ONBOARD ONEONTA’

It features 10 business and professional leaders who volunteer their time to serve the community. Each of the community leaders will discuss an aspect of volunteering including career benefits, skill development, leadership experience, networking opportunities and community impact.

“I am really glad they are doing this,” said Rachel Jessup, Bank of Cooperstown’s Oneonta branch manager, and speaker at the event. “If you have never served on a board before it can be intimidating. You just kind of get thrown into it. There are a lot of things that people would benefit knowing beforehand. This will be a great opportunity for people who are interested in volunteering to learn what it takes and to learn about the benefits.”

The benefits of volunteering include the satisfaction of helping community organizations as well as personal benefits in networking and building professional skills.

“When you serve on a board, you are serving with other community leaders,” said Zoe van der Muelen, vice-president of communications at Unalam, and event participant. “You get to meet them in a situation where you are both peers, in an environment where there is not a lot of pressure. It is not like you are going into someone’s office on a cold call. When you serve on a board with someone you get to know them in a different way.”

“On Board Oneonta” is described as a grass-roots approach to getting people more interested in community service and involvement.

The steering committee, which includes the Y’s Frank Russo, Sarah Manchester of Edward Jones’ investments, Hartwick College’s Kirsten Oehl and Andrew Marietta of NYCON (The state Council of Non-Profits) hope that the event will increase interest in the value and benefits of service.

“We are at an interesting time with boards in the region,” Marietta said. “We have some people who have served for decades retiring. We have had this trend of long-time service at the board levels. It is an older group, although not exclusively an older group. There is a real need for people to get involved.”

Marietta said there are many personal and professional benefits to joining boards and many boards are willing to work with busy professionals.

“I sit on a board and sometimes I just can’t physically make the meeting so I asked if I could call in,” Marietta, said. “It worked out. Now there are two of us who need to call in every once in a while during a board meeting – and that works for us.”