Board of Directors

Carol Ayars, CVA (She/Her)

Virginia - Atlantic Region

AmeriCorps Seniors Programs Manager at Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging

Carol Ayars has been in the field for over 25 years and yet she contributes her real understanding of what volunteers want because she is a volunteer at heart. Carol is constantly sharing her knowledge and experience through presentations, workshops, and informal mentoring. She is a Midwest girl who has built a life in the South with her college sweetheart who tries to keep this pink zebra grounded. She is enjoying the empty nest stage of her life and misses our precious grandbabies who live way too far away!

Shelli Beck (She/Her)

Minnesota - Great Lakes Region

Director of Volunteer Services, Lyngblomsten

Shelli Beck was introduced to volunteer management as a volunteer introducing volunteerism to the small private school that her children attended. Then she began an AmeriCorps position with Goodwill/Easter Seals as a Volunteer Coordinator. Over the years she has turned a very part-time Volunteer Coordinator role at Lyngblomsten into a full-time Director level position. Shelli has been a staple of volunteer engagement in Minnesota helping deliver Service Enterprise training, having served as a Conference Chair and Board Member for MAVA, and actively connected with her local peers.

Julie Booth, CVA (She/Her)

Ohio - Great Lakes Region

Volunteer Services, Columbus Metropolitan Library

Julie Booth is a Certified Volunteer Administrator (CVA) and public relations professional with extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, including national and community-based organizations. Along with a love for and commitment to the volunteer engagement profession, Julie brings to AL!VE skills and experience in strategic thinking and planning, program development, policy and procedure evaluation and development, relationship building, volunteer communication, and nonprofit capacity building.

Alicia Morris Campbell, CVA (She/Her)

Illinois - Great Lakes Region

Director of Volunteer Expertise Hub, Habitat for Humanity

Alicia is a nonprofit professional with over 10 years of experience in volunteer management. She has developed and led volunteer programs and services for both locally-focused and nationally based organizations. She has specialized in engaging youth and young adult volunteers and has extensive knowledge around volunteer event planning and management. She has presented at conferences such as Points of Light and the Illinois Conference of Volunteer Administrators. She also served as the VP of Marketing and Communications for the Association of Volunteer Administrators of Metro Chicago. Alicia has served on employee resource committees where she's led the charge in her local area around DEI initiatives. Alicia has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from La Salle University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration-Nonprofit Management, and a graduate certificate in Human Resource Management both from Keller Graduate School of Management. She currently resides in the Chicago area.

Jenn Forristal, CVA (She/Her)

Oregon - Pacific Region

Volunteer Resources Manager, Oregon Public Broadcasting

For more than 16 years, Jenn Forristal, CVA has had the privilege of working with volunteers serving in diverse fields including social services, animal welfare, public media, national service, political campaigns, and professional associations. She served as board president for the Northwest Oregon Volunteer Administrators Association. As AL!VE's local association committee chair, she strives to lift up the transformational work of members by providing meaningful and engaging programs and networking opportunities. Jenn is dedicated to centering equity and inclusion in volunteer programs, is a trained equity facilitator, and will help AL!VE support our members and their organizations who are working to strengthen equity in communities. 

Jordanya Reeves, CVA (She/Her)

Texas - South Central Region

Associate Manager of Volunteer Management, Mindpower

Volunteerism is Jordanya's passion. She has seen and believes the world can change if its people answer the call to make it better. She has built volunteer programs from the ground up and has seen them thrive. She actively seeks opportunities to advance volunteer management on a global scale. She uses her proven expertise in the field to train and mentor other volunteer engagement professionals.

Amanda Schmierer, CVA (She/Her)

Idaho - Upper West Region

Volunteer Engagement Professional

Amanda Schmierer has over 12 years of professional experience as a Volunteer Manager. Her desire to help others find their passions came from her own volunteer experiences leading others in service. She has grown her interest into a career, with a specialization in program development and retention, educating peers and nonprofits, mentoring, and advocating for the volunteer management profession. She is a Certified Volunteer Administrator and recently became certified in Human Rights through the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights. She lives in Nampa, ID with her husband and 3 fur children.

Allison Schwartz (She/Her)

Maryland - Atlantic Region

Volunteer Manager, Maryland Zoo

Allison has been working for the Maryland Zoo for ten years. During this time she has been a catalyst for change, organization, and strengthening the ties within the organization itself and also the local community. Additionally, she has spent five years as a volunteer manager in the animal sheltering world where she was able to find her confidence and start the journey of becoming a leader and teammate to those around her. Currently Allison is the president of the Maryland Council for Directors of Volunteer Services. The organization has been through a lot in the past few years and she is proud to say they are starting to get their feet under them once more and offer the support volunteer administrators in the state of MD have not had recently.

Association Manager: Gretchen Jordan, CVA (She/Her)

Florida - Southeast Region

Gretchen Jordan, CVA is the Association Manager who works with the Executive Committee and Board of Directors to prepare and deliver support to member services, the board of directors, and special projects.  Previous work experience includes management in the corporate, non-profit sector and as a small business owner in addition to over twenty five years experience managing volunteer programs.   She is an active member of local and national volunteer manager associations and has presented on volunteer management issues on the local, state, and national level.  Gretchen earned her Certification in Volunteer Administration designation in 2000 and has a Bachelors degree in Community and Human Service from Empire State College.  Her skills are public speaking, management, customer service, leadership, and organization.  Gretchen and her husband have a home base but travel often in a 41' motor coach around the United States & Canada.

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Service Enterprise Administrator: Kayla Paulson, CVA (She/Her)

Iowa - Midwest Region

Kayla has spent the last six years fighting for more strategic and impactful volunteer engagement in her community, state, and nationally. During her tenure with United Way of East Central Iowa she has worked with over 75 local agencies, more than 500 senior volunteers, Iowa Commission on Volunteering & Service, Points of Light, and United Way Worldwide to help improve volunteer engagement practices.  Kayla Paulson has spent her professional career in marketing, training, community relations, and volunteer management both in the senior healthcare and nonprofit industries. She is an experienced trainer at state, regional, and national levels, delivering interactive and empowering workshops. She has taken 25 organizations in eastern Iowa through Service Enterprise, an organization change management program to effectively and efficiently leverage volunteers to deliver its social mission. She has served as President and Marketing & Communications Chair for Leaders in Volunteerism, Vice-Chair for RSVP Directors of Iowa Association, Walk to End Alzheimers Chair, Echo Hill PTO Hospitality Chair, Linn County Triad Board Member, Alburnett Community School District Foundation Board Member, United Way Worldwide Boomer Engagement, Service Enterprise Curriculum Design Team Member, LAP-AID Emergency Volunteer Center Core Team, and as a pro-bono volunteer for various nonprofits sharing her skills in volunteer management, strategic planning, training, marketing and communications.

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