Award-winning volunteers, interns, and assignment supervisors pose with members of the Board of Supervisors during the April 26, 2022, meeting at the Civic Center. (Photo by Kate Whittingham, Marin County Parks)
San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Board of Supervisors honored exemplary volunteer service and intern involvement on April 26 at a ceremony for the County’s Volunteer of the Year, Intern of the Year, and two teams of the year. The ceremony celebrated MarinShares and Marinterns program participants who made extraordinary impacts. All received resolutions of commendation.
In addition, two employees received resolutions of commendation for their excellent work with volunteers and interns, and the Board proclaimed April as Volunteer and Intern Recognition Month in Marin. All resolutions can be found on the Board’s agenda webpage.
Board President Katie Rice presided at the event, held in Board chambers at the Marin Civic Center and via videoconferencing. Speakers included Chief Assistant Director of Health and Human Services Ken Shapiro, Marin County Sheriff’s Lt. Pierre Ahuncain, Marin County Free Library Director Lana Adlawan, Public Defender David Sutton, and Deputy Public Defender Tamara York. Assistant County Administrator Angela Nicholson emceed; Nicholson is also the acting Human Resources director.
The Honorees
Volunteer of the Year Michael Synyard of San Rafael serves with the Marin County Sheriff's Department as a regular Search and Rescue Unit (SAR) member and as the SAR boot camp manager. Helping the lost and injured in Marin and around California, he committed over 600 hours to searches and boot camp leadership during 2021 alone. Last year he also taught 27 new members, SAR’s largest boot camp class to date. An SAR member since 2017, Michael is on call 24/7 for the unit. The SAR is a mountain rescue team that handles difficult technical rope rescues, winter missions, and extended backcountry assignments.
Intern of the Year Marise Thadani of Larkspur served with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), analyzing data related to the impact of COVID-19 in California. She learned to interpret real-world data to help the County epidemiology team advance understanding of the pandemic’s influence on health outcomes. Marise completed two data analysis projects during her post-graduate internship. The first involved substance use, and the second was on mental health. For both projects, Marise wrote manuscripts of her findings to be shared with the public. She proved herself an extremely capable student epidemiologist, showing deep commitment to dealing with the incidence, distribution, and control of health issues in a population.
The Marin Medical Reserve Corps COVID-19 Field Testing Team was named Volunteer Team of the Year. From left are Valerie Aden-Lindsey, Carla Greenblatt, Wendi Schenkler Samway, Janis Luft, and Julia Krasner. Not pictured: Maxine Gilbert, Judy Greenwald, Meg Jordan, Germaine Krase, Judy Palesky, Jane Stringer, Diane Vogelei. (Photo by Kate Whittingham, Marin County Parks)The Volunteer Team of the Year is the Marin Medical Reserve Corps COVID-19 Field Testing Team, which responds to outbreak needs in Marin. Team members performed COVID-19 testing and developed working relationships at child care sites, schools, senior care facilities, homeless shelters, pop-up community testing sites, the Marin County Jail, and private homes. The group of 12 medical professionals has consistently enhanced the County’s efforts to prevent and manage COVID-19 outbreaks. The team members are Valerie Aden-Lindsey, RN, of Mill Valley; Maxine Gilbert, EMT, of Stinson Beach; Carla Greenblatt, RN, of Sausalito; Judy Greenwald, NP, of San Anselmo; Meg Jordan, RN, of Novato; Germaine Krase, RN, of San Rafael; Julia Krasner, MD, of Novato; Janis Luft, NP, of Tiburon; Judy Palesky, RN, of Novato; Wendi Schenkler Samway, RN, of San Anselmo; Jane Stringer, NP, of Inverness; and Diane Vogelei, NP, of Novato.
The Intern Team of the Year is the Public Defender’s Law School Team. The two-member team of Reagan Vandeburg of Turlock and Madison “Mattie” Hassett of San Rafael directly and positively affected trial outcomes. They went to trial, presenting arguments and examinations before a jury. Their cases involved such charges as driving under the influence, reckless driving, and evading a police officer. While learning through experience, these law school students met with clients and helped them navigate the justice system. They informed clients about court processes, advised them how to present themselves in court, and wrote examinations and arguments on their clients’ behalf. Their internships supervisor said they consistently supported each other, achieving more as teammates than they would have alone.
Outstanding Volunteer Supervisor of the Year: All volunteers have County staff supervisors who provide orientation, support, and connection. For her work with volunteers at the Stinson Beach Library branch, the 2021-2022 honoree is Community Library Specialist Kerry Livingston of the Marin County Free Library. For more than 30 years Kerry has warmly welcomed volunteers of all ages, and some have served for decades. Kerry, an Inverness resident, also works closely with the Friends of the Bolinas Stinson Beach Libraries, an all-volunteer organization that supports library collections and programs. Kerry’s dedication to making the library a place where everyone in the community has a role is essential to the continuing success of the Stinson Beach branch’s volunteer program.
Outstanding Intern Supervisor of the Year: All interns receive guidance from County staff supervisors. For her work with nursing student interns, the honoree is Marsha Grant of Health and Human Services. Marsha, a San Rafael resident who recently retired from her nursing manager job, regularly mentored nursing students during her career. She included interns in public health projects such as communicable disease work, preparedness efforts, flu shot clinics, and COVID-19 response. Marsha ensured interesting and valuable internships and invited colleagues to host internships, too. During the County’s coronavirus response, she encouraged student placements with public health teams serving schools and long-term care facilities. Her nursing students had opportunities to learn -- and to refine their career plans -- during planning exercises, at testing sites, while visiting isolated patients, and at vaccination clinics.
Opportunities to Serve
During the first two years of the pandemic, most County volunteer assignments paused, but now departments are beginning to welcome volunteers and interns again.
“We’re excited to welcome volunteers and interns back, although the pace of return depends on pandemic conditions,” said MarinShares Coordinator Anne Starr. “Some staff supervisors of volunteers are asking participants back to offices. Meanwhile, remote roles developed during the pandemic are continuing, while Marin County Parks’ enthusiastic volunteers are as busy as ever outdoors.”
Marinterns Coordinator Joy Fossett said that although the pandemic stopped a huge number of internships, opportunities have begun to reopen for students of all ages. “With the pandemic slowly easing, several County departments are inviting interns back. We look forward to more students gaining experience and exploring career possibilities,” Joy said. “In addition, we hope that this summer’s Career Explorer program for teens and young adults will be able to provide in-person opportunities again.”
Program Notes
For 43 years, Marin’s central volunteer program has connected people with their County organization and enhanced delivery of services to residents.
Volunteers and interns from diverse backgrounds serve as fire lookouts, Civic Center tour docents, research interns, invasive-weed removers, ombudsmen, writers, emergency radio operators, office aides, chaplains, photographers, theater ushers, nursing interns, editors, air patrol pilots, graphic designers, and much more.
According to the MarinShares and Marinterns 2020-2021 annual report, 3,462 volunteers and unpaid interns served 180,689 hours during that fiscal year.
Contact Us
The MarinShares and Marinterns programs engage volunteers who contribute their skills and student interns who serve while learning. To explore opportunities and to apply, visit www.marincountyHR.org or contact Anne Starr at (415) 473-7167 for volunteering, and Joy Fossett at (415) 473-7447 for student internships.