San Rafael, CA – Ninety-nine outstanding volunteers and interns – some with decades of service – have been honored by the Marin County Board of Supervisors for their significant impacts.
Board members passed individual resolutions of commendation at their January 25 meeting. The Board also accepted the MarinShares & Marinterns Impact Report for fiscal year 2020-2021.
The 99 honorees served across the County organization in a wide range of roles, completed their volunteer and internship commitments, and were recommended for special recognition by their staff supervisors. Honorees’ length of service ranged from a single semester to more than 40 years.
The group included 62 Marinterns students who learned about public service careers from health to communications to human resources. Interns with medical training helped with COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts as the County continued its pandemic response. Other student honorees promoted anti-tobacco education, collected oral histories, and served while learning about forensics, archiving, information services, and the law.
MarinShares Voluteer Steve Sarhad with his staff supervisor Jennifer Zuniga from the Department of Health and Human Services. Sarhad contributed to the Children's Oral Health Project.The 37 volunteers who were honored shared their skills at county facilities all over Marin. Their roles ranged from tutoring at library branches to serving on the Sheriff’s Search & Rescue team. Volunteers with medical expertise stepped up to support COVID-19 testing and vaccination, contributing to Marin’s standing as the most-vaccinated county per capita in California.
The five longest-serving people in this group are a Sheriff’s Air Patrol pilot with 41 years of service, two Marin Center ushers with 34 years and 29 years respectively, a Marin County Fire volunteer firefighter with 29 years, and a Sheriff’s Search & Rescue volunteer with 25 years.
Honoree names and hometowns are in the list below.
The MarinShares & Marinterns Annual Report for 2020-2021 reflected the 180,689 hours served by 3,462 volunteers and unpaid interns during that fiscal year. Due to pandemic-related limitations, total numbers were lower than the previous year.
There was an exception: The Marin Medical Reserve Corps nearly quadrupled in size when volunteers with medical expertise and student interns with medical education responded wholeheartedly to public health needs. Corps members supported a COVID-19 call center, provider hotline, vaccination clinics, contact investigations, testing, and outreach to individuals with access and/or functional needs.
“We are grateful for the long and loyal service of the volunteers honored by the Board of Supervisors,” said MarinShares Coordinator of Volunteers Anne Starr. “They adapted to pandemic circumstances and kept contributing. Meanwhile, the many remote and in-person volunteers who are continuing to serve are sharing skills, time, and optimism in the face of pandemic-related limits. Their individual outlooks, knowledge, and commitment benefit County teams and Marin residents tremendously. We look forward to having all volunteers back as soon as public health conditions allow.”
Marinterns Coordinator Joy Fossett said students demonstrated adaptability and enthusiasm in County departments despite the inconveniences of the pandemic.
“Each intern brought fresh perspectives and insights to the County and their project assignments,” she said of the honorees. “Although the pandemic temporarily limited opportunities, students were eager to get the most out of their internship experiences. Without exception, they were committed to their internships and demonstrated deep interest as they explored their fields. They were resilient, positive, and ready to learn.”
County volunteers and interns are involved in various ways, including as fire lookouts, legal interns, Marin Center theater ushers, consumer mediators, tobacco-prevention interns, Marin County Civic Center tour guides, ombudsmen, financial abuse specialists, open space trails volunteers, newsletter writers, senior peer counselors, emergency radio operators, and more.
The MarinShares and Marinterns programs engage a diverse group of area tesidents who share their knowledge and experience, enhancing the County’s service to the people of Marin. To explore opportunities and to apply, visit the HR website or contact Anne Starr at (415) 473-7167 for volunteering, and Joy Fossett at (415) 473-7447 for student internships.
MARIN SHARES AND MARINTERNS HONOREES
RECOGNIZED BY THE MARIN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISOR
ON JANUARY 25, 2022
Belvedere
- Nicole Johnson, School to Career tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Camille Ray, tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services.
Bolinas
- Liza Sternik, summer law clerk, County Counsel’s Office.
Corte Madera
- Katherine Chuang, tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Emily Gallegos, tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Joanne Lee, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Lucas Peck, law school intern, Public Defender’s Office.
Fairfax
- Madeline Knightly, teen leadership crew, Marin County Free Library;
- Kathy Norwood, client assessment aide, Health & Human Services;
- Sophia Pillitteri, School to Career tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Sophie Taubman, School to Career tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services.
Greenbrae
- Adriana Arquilevich, point of dispensing support volunteer; Health & Human Services;
- Helen Bohaczyk, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Herman Frentzel, air patrol volunteer, Marin County Sheriff’s Office;
- Xin Van Horn, high school intern, District Attorney’s Office.
Inverness
- Maureen Blumenthal, shelver, Marin County Free Library.
Kentfield
- Shannon Donelan, Youth Working for Change intern, Probation Department.
Mill Valley
- Arianna Chitsaz, District 1 intern, Board of Supervisors;
- Annika Danne, tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Michael Danne, School to Career tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Yonatan Paz-Priel, high school intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Sarah Taft, tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services.
Novato
- Natalia Aghazadeh, graphic design aide intern, Human Resources;
- Arlin Benavides, Drawdown: Marin community ambassador coordinator, Community Development Agency;
- Ann Bonfigli, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Jim Cleaves, tutor, Marin County Free Library;
- Wesley Fink, District 2 intern, Board of Supervisors;
- Kylie Flanagan, School to Career tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Richard Gordon, English tutor, Marin County Free Library;
- Bradley Haas, Marin Search & Rescue volunteer, Marin County Sheriff’s Office;
- Abby Ivancevich, pre-law intern, District Attorney’s Office;
- Marjorie Jules, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Susan Kim, Rx Safe Marin AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, Health & Human Services;
- Katharine McLaughlin, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Jack Moffett, School to Career tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Chloe Ovbiagele, high school intern, District Attorney’s Office;
- Courtney Pittman, graphic design aide, Human Resources;
- Emma Rice, School to Career tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Cece Trifoso, archivist intern, Marin County Free Library;
- Judy Wilkins, patrol volunteer, Marin County Parks.
Point Reyes Station
- Martha Cushman, English as a Second Language tutor, Marin County Free Library.
Ross
- Craig Thomas, air patrol volunteer, Marin County Sheriff’s Office.
San Anselmo
- Sofia Bruschi, District 2 intern, Board of Supervisors;
- Carol Palmer-Collins of San Anselmo, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Austin Shopbell, law school fellow, District Attorney’s Office.
San Rafael
- Tanaya Alford-McEwen, tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Joan Clemmons, ombudsman volunteer, Health & Human Services;
- Jacob Derin, pre-law intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Manal Dia, contact tracing intern, Health & Human Services;
- Ruth Falkenberg, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Abbie Gould, literacy tutor/Reading Buddies intern, Marin County Free Library;
- Madison Hassett, law school intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Emma Kraus, District 1 intern, Board of Supervisors;
- Ellen Kruger, Marin Search & Rescue volunteer, Marin County Sheriff’s Office;
- Ceclia Kudlick, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Salamah Locks, runner Aging Disability Resource Center, Health & Human Services;
- Amy Muithya, flood control Zone 7 intern, Department of Public Works;
- Alison Paxtor, media team communication intern, Health & Human Services;
- Andrew Popov, digital intern, Information Services and Technology;
- Julia Reinhard, District 2 intern, Board of Supervisors;
- Stephen Sarhad, database assistant-Children’s Oral Health, Health & Human Services;
- Joey Scardina, Clean Marin public outreach intern, Department of Public Works;
- Cecille Silver, administrative aide, Marin County Sheriff’s Office;
- Elisabeth Sommer, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Jessica Tecun, adult probation intern, Probation Department;
- Nineveh Winton, tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services.
Sausalito
- Patricia Finnegan, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services.
Stinson Beach
- Phyllis Fitzpatrick, aide, Marin County Free Library.
Tiburon
- Jessica Glennon, School to Career tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services;
- Violet Marshall, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services;
- Katie Parsons, School to Career tobacco prevention & education intern, Health & Human Services.
Tomales
- Corinne Downing, volunteer firefighter, Marin County Fire;
- Jason Downing, volunteer firefighter, Marin County Fire.
Woodacre
- Owen Clapp, oral history intern, Marin County Free Library.
Sonoma County
- Ashlyn Winje of Rohnert Park, coroner intern, Marin County Sheriff’s Office;
- Nora Cuevas of Santa Rosa, investigations intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Michael Melton of Santa Rosa, post-bar intern, Public Defender’s Office.
Other Bay Area Locations
- Reilly Berberian of Castro Valley, pre-law intern; District Attorney’s Office;
- Antara Agarwal of Cupertino, pre-law intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Terra Crowl of El Sobrante, children and family services intern, Health & Human Services;
- Morgan Semana of Elk Grove, literacy tutor/Reading Buddies intern; Marin County Free Library;
- Reanna Felix of Hayward, literacy tutor/Reading Buddies intern; Marin County Free Library;
- Larnell France of Hayward, law school intern and post-bar law clerk, District Attorney’s Office;
- Michael Briones of Hercules, central collections intern, Department of Finance;
- Elliot Millerd-Taylor of Oakland, post-bar law clerk, Public Defender’s Office;
- Stewart Schweinfurth of Oakland, legal intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Samantha Gatton of Pacifica, post-bar law clerk and volunteer post-bar law clerk, District Attorney’s Office;
- Angela Crivello of San Francisco, legal intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Isabella Granucci of San Francisco, legal intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Carrie Moulton of San Francisco, Financial Abuse Specialist Team volunteer, Health & Human Services;
- Eric Sachleben of San Francisco, pre-law intern, District Attorney’s Office;
- Sydney Yang of San Jose, summer law clerk, County Counsel’s Office;
- Jessica Yu of San Jose, post-bar intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Reagan Vandeburg of Turlock, law school intern, Public Defender’s Office;
- Angelina Jolie Banes of Vallejo, literacy tutor/Reading Buddies intern; Marin County Free Library;
- Diane Reeder of Woodland, Marin Center usher, Cultural Services.
Outside California
- Solena Ornelas of Colorado Springs, CO, District 2 intern, Board of Supervisors
- Kami Kitchen of Bend, OR (formerly of San Francisco), fire lookout, Marin County Fire;
- Jay Hubert of Port Townsend, WA (formerly of San Rafael), Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service/Auxiliary Communications Service volunteer, Marin County Sheriff’s Office.