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Dear National Service Community,
Please
join me in welcoming Max Finberg as the new Director of AmeriCorps VISTA.
Max started his career as a VISTA supervisor and has been
addressing poverty-related issues ever since. Without
a doubt, he knows the value of national service and is prepared to hit the
ground running.
Max
comes to us from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), where he serves as
a senior advisor, coordinating Secretary Vilsack’s rural anti-poverty and
diversity and inclusion initiatives. In that role, he worked with
communities around the country to promote growth and opportunity in
high-poverty rural areas. He was Acting Director of the Office of Tribal
Relations and Director of USDA’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships. In 2012, he served on the White House’s Domestic Policy
Council as a senior policy advisor working on immigration, child nutrition, and
outreach to various communities.
Prior
to joining President Obama’s Administration, Max directed the Alliance to End
Hunger, a non-profit organization that engages member organizations in building
the will to end hunger. He also served in the State Department, working
with the United Nations, and was the founding director of the Mickey Leland
Hunger Fellows Program – an AmeriCorps VISTA program – with the Congressional
Hunger Center.
A
graduate of Howard University's School of Divinity and Tufts University, Max’s
commitment to public service runs deep. He is someone who has
demonstrated his ability to work with various communities and deliver
results. I am glad to have him join our team.
Max
joins us on Monday, December 14. After accepting this appointment, Max sent a
note (which I pasted below) expressing why he is excited to lead this amazing
anti-poverty program as it begins its second half century.
Warmest
regards,
 Wendy Spencer, CEO
Corporation for National and Community Service
Thank you so much for welcoming me to the National Service Team and offering me this incredible opportunity. I am humbled and honored to follow in the footsteps of some amazing public servants as the next Director of AmeriCorps VISTA.
Service to others is the foundation of our country and our communities. AmeriCorps provides a wonderful vehicle to serve others and express our gratitude for the many opportunities that we have been given. I look forward to working with you and our colleagues around the country in taking the next steps forward. AmeriCorps VISTA has an amazing legacy of working hand-in-hand with communities to improve the lives of their neighbors. Together with the whole AmeriCorps VISTA team, I am excited to do what I can to build on that legacy.
Ever since working with VISTAs more than 20 years ago, I have appreciated the work they do day in and day out. The dedication and commitment that they bring to their jobs will continue to inspire me in mine. As the next Director, I am looking forward to working together with them to achieve their goals and dreams.
Thank you again for the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I am excited about all that AmeriCorps VISTA members will accomplish in the next 50 years and am grateful to join such a terrific team. It is truly an honor to be part of a unique effort to serve others, assist our neighbors in need and help change the world, one community at a time.
Gratefully yours in service,
Max
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