Nominees Announced for the 28th Annual Heart of Marin™ Awards – Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12/3/20

Media Contacts:

Linda Jacobs, CEO
415.479.5710 x300
ljacobs@cvnl.org

Katelyn Willoughby-Bagley, Director of Marketing & Communications
415.448.0330
kwilloughby@cvnl.org

Nominees Announced for the 28th Annual Heart of Marin™ Awards

SAN RAFAEL, CA, 12/3/20 – Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) is pleased to announce the nominees for the 28th Annual Heart of Marin™ Awards.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, nonprofit organizations are working tirelessly to provide services,” said Linda Jacobs, CEO at CVNL. “This year nonprofits have stepped up in creative and courageous ways to keep our communities afloat. We can’t wait to honor all of the nominees and announce the award recipients at the virtual event on January 7th, 2021.”

Heart of Marin directly supports the local Marin nonprofit sector, giving $35,000 to outstanding Marin nonprofits and the committed individuals who serve them. Everyone is invited to the Virtual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, January 7th, 2021, from 11:00am to 1:00pm, where recipients will be announced, and all nominees will be recognized.

The event is supported by Presenting Sponsor Bank of Marin, and Media Sponsor Marin Independent Journal. Awards are made possible by the generosity of our sponsors (see below).

And the Nominees are…

Corporate Community Service (Sponsor: BioMarin)
2K Games
First Republic Bank
Giving Marin, Community Partnership
Toys for Bob

Volunteer of the Year (Sponsor: PG&E)
Dawn Beavis, The Marine Mammal Center
Susan Brennan, St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin
Nancy Curran, Canal Alliance
Buddy Faure, San Geronimo Valley Community Center
Jim Finkelstein, Halleck Creek Ranch
Viviana Garcia, Enriching Lives through Music
Erica Hunt, Marin Community Clinics
Erin Kane, Alzheimer’s Association
Dale Kline, School Fuel –Novato Foundation for Public Education
Nancy Malcolm, Vivalon
Pat Mount, Social Call
Dennis Orwig, ExtraFood.org
Richard Slusher, Buckelew Programs
Lindsey Smith, Multicultural Center of Marin
Benjamin Stahl, Operation Access
Erin Uesugi, Lifehouse

Excellence in Board Leadership (Sponsor: EO Products)
Jeane Allen, HumanKind Alliance
Judy Binsacca, EAH Housing
Brandon Brown, Youth Leadership Institute
Vivian Cohen, Osher Marin JCC
Nick Dieter, Becoming Independent
Trisha Garlock, SchoolsRule Marin
Michelle Kenney, Conservation Corps North Bay
Joy Phoenix, Side by Side
Chip Smith, Marin Humane
Ed Westbrook, Friends of China Camp Inc.

Youth Volunteer of the Year (Sponsor: Redwood Credit Union)
Amrit Baveja and Beck Lorsch, MarinTrace
Hollis Belger, Juggling for Jude
Natalia Betzler, Love is the Answer
August Buessing, St Vincent de Paul Society of Marin
Diego Chavarria, Youth Leadership Institute
David Chivers, Shore Up Marin City; First Missionary Baptist Church
Leslye Deleon, Next Generation Scholars
David Fox, Learning Enrichment Afternoon Program
Jessica Glennon, Bay Area Community Resources
Ella Green, Marin County Office of Education
Alex Paloglou, Beyond Differences
Lucas Tress, Marin County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit

Excellence in Innovation (Sponsor: Comerica Bank)
Agricultural Institute of Marin
Ambassadors of Hope & Opportunity
America SCORES Bay Area
Bridge the Gap College Prep
Enriching Lives through Music
ExtraFood.org
GraceSigns
Marin Humane
Osher Marin JCC
Parent Services Project
People with Disabilities Succeeding
Jahmeer Reynolds, Marin County Cooperation Teams
Side by Side/YouThrive

Excellence in Leadership (Sponsor: Marin Community Foundation)
Robin Joy Berenson, Community Institute for Psychotherapy
Omar Carerra, Canal Alliance
Kay Carlson, Marin Open Studios
Dave Cort, San Geronimo Valley Community Center
Kelli Finley, National Alliance on Mental Illness Marin
Maika Llorens Gulati, Slide Ranch
Joe O’Hehir, Vivalon
Dr. Mitesh Popat, Marin Community Clinics
Barbara Sabido, Marin Foster Care Association
Cherie Sorokin, Marin Villages
Marv Zauderer, ExtraFood.org

Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence
Age-Friendly Solutions/Intergenerational Center
Ambassadors of Hope & Opportunity
Beyond Differences
Big Skills Tiny Homes
Canal Alliance
Ceres Community Project
Children for Change
Community Action Marin
Family & Children’s Law Center
Gilead House
GraceSigns
Marin Community Clinics
Marin County Cooperation Teams
North Bay Industries
North Marin Community Services
Opening the World
Performing Stars of Marin
Side by Side/Irene M. Hunt School
Slide Ranch
Sparkle Foundation
Veterans and Equines Together

Lifetime Achievement (Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente, San Rafael)
Marian Huntington
Trisha Garlock
Dr. Thomas Peters

Nominees are also listed online at cvnl.org/heartevents. This year’s event is free to all community members, but registration is required. Visit cvnl.org/heartevents to reserve your seats. Donations are appreciated and welcome.

# # #
About CVNL: For over 50 years, CVNL have advanced nonprofits and volunteerism by strengthening leadership, encouraging innovation, and empowering individuals in their communities. Passion alone isn’t enough when it comes to creating strong nonprofits. That’s why we work with aspiring and established leaders every day to help them build the skills and connections that can take their impact to the next level. Together we offer comprehensive programs that support nonprofits and volunteers including training, executive search, customized consulting solutions, volunteer matching, and corporate engagement. Heart of Marin™ and Heart of Napa™ events support nonprofits of every size and mission through recognition and cash awards. Other programs and services include the Sonoma Human Race, Secret Santa, Court Referral Program, and Volunteer Wheels. We provide disaster preparedness training and serve as an Emergency Volunteer Center (EVC), overseeing spontaneous volunteers and donations for Napa, Marin, and Sonoma Counties in the aftermath of a disaster. We believe that with confident and prepared leaders, our nonprofits will be better equipped to create healthy, happy communities. Visit www.cvnl.org to discover more.