Giving Back & Getting Ahead: Community Leadership and Strategic Volunteering
Barbara LawsonVolunteering is not a one-way street! Volunteering should be an integral part of every career development plan as it promotes skill development, improves your network, increases your understanding of the community, builds your business brand, enhances professional opportunities and provides personal satisfaction. This interactive workshop will discuss the many forms volunteering can take, how to evaluate your personal and professional situation to find the opportunities that will most interest and benefit you, and take you to the next level of being a community leader. The basics of board membership will be discussed as well as how to maximize volunteer opportunities and manage your volunteer experience. Participants will engage in a dialogue about community resources and ideas for giving back to the community. Find out why:
- Beyond being the "right thing to do" volunteering is a smart strategy for people looking to expand their career opportunities.
- There are a variety of ways to get involved in your community – we will think creatively!
- Volunteering can be a great way to match between your passion, goals and resources with community needs.
Meet The Presenter
Barbara K. Lawson has a varied career in the nonprofit and government human services sector as well as experience in disaster relief, financial and business consulting. Ms. Lawson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Columbia Foundation from 1989 to 2008. She oversaw all aspects of the Foundation's operations and grew the organization from $700,000 to $16 M while providing community grants in excess of $9M.
After serving with the American Red Cross, including overseas assignments in Vietnam and England, and with the Department of Health and Human Services as a refugee camp director, she became the Executive Director of the Traditional Acupuncture Foundation. Ms. Lawson also served as a grant consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice. She serves on the Howard Bank Board of Directors and is a member of the Governance Committee.
She is a partner in the Synergies Consulting Group, founded in 2008 to provide organizational assessments, strategic planning, government relations, marketing, communications and development expertise to corporate and non-profit clients.
An active community volunteer, Ms Lawson serves on the boards of the Leadership Howard County, Traditional Acupuncture Institute, the Chaney Family Foundation and Healthy Families. She was one of the founders of the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County and the Little Patuxent Review. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and the University of Oklahoma.
Ms. Lawson is a graduate of the Class of 1990 Leadership Howard County and 2001 Leadership Alumni of the Year. She is the recipient of the 1997 Audrey Robbins Humanitarian Award presented by the Association of Community Services. Ms Lawson's leadership has been recognized through numerous awards including induction into the Howard County Women's Hall of Fame; recognition as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women. In 2008, she received the Horizon Foundation's Community Appreciation Award, the Chamber of Commerce's Exemplar Award and the Community Action Council's Reverend Holland Award