Dear Colleagues,
We are very pleased
to announce that the White House has appointed Chester Spellman as our new Director
of AmeriCorps.
Many of you know Chester from
his role as CEO of Volunteer Florida, where he has served for the past five
years since his appointment by Governor Rick Scott. At CNCS, Chester will lead AmeriCorps
State and National and its network of Governor-appointed State Service Commissions
and grantee organizations. AmeriCorps, including AmeriCorps NCCC and AmeriCorps
VISTA, engages 80,000 AmeriCorps members annually across the nation to solve
local problems, expand economic opportunity, strengthen the nonprofit sector,
and provide workforce skills and educational opportunities for those who serve.
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“I believe there is no greater
calling than the calling to serve. I am deeply honored to be appointed by the
White House and thrilled for the opportunity to lead AmeriCorps at the national
level. National and community service changes lives every day, and I look
forward to working with the team at the Corporation for National and Community
Service to strengthen communities across the U.S.,” Chester said.
Chester brings extensive
experience, knowledge, and leadership in the national service and nonprofit
sectors. At Volunteer Florida, Chester has overseen more than $32 million in annual
federal, state, and local funds supporting AmeriCorps and volunteer programs to
meet critical needs in Florida’s communities. He also has led the statewide
coordination of volunteers and donations before, during, and after disasters in
partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and served as Executive
Director of the Volunteer Florida Foundation, a nonprofit charity that serves
as a direct support organization to Volunteer Florida.
Chester has more than 15 years
of experience working in the nonprofit sector, including serving at several
faith-based organizations. Prior to joining Volunteer Florida, Spellman worked
for Governor Rick Scott as Director of Appointments in the Executive Office of
the Governor.
Chester serves in a number of
volunteer leadership roles, including as the national Chair of the American Association
of State Service Commissions (ASC); as immediate past Chair for Connect
Florida, a program of Leadership Florida; as a member of the Board of Directors
of the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Program; and on the Tallahassee Board of
Advisors for the James Madison Institute. He is a member of the American
Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and serves as a mentor in Tallahassee
with Take Stock in Children. He is the founder and previously served as Dean of
the Awesome Foundation in Tallahassee. In 2016, Chester was honored by the Bob
Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida with its Young
Floridian Award.
Chester will be moving to the
Washington D.C. area with his wife and three children and will start at CNCS on
August 28. As Chester assumes his new role, I’d like to thank Jennifer Bastress
Tahmasebi for her excellent leadership of AmeriCorps State and National over
the past seven months and for continuing to serve as Deputy Director.
We look forward to working with
Chester as he takes on this key position at CNCS later this month.
Warmest Regards,
Kim Mansaray
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Corporation for National and
Community Service
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