Nebraska State Fair volunteer program to transition from Chamber to State Fair office

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – After 13 years of coordinating volunteers for the group’s largest occasion, the Nebraska State Honest, the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce is transitioning the volunteer program to the Nebraska State Honest workplace year-round.

The 2 organizations entered right into a partnership in coordinating Honest volunteers when the Nebraska State Honest started its transfer from Lincoln to Grand Island in 2009. To alleviate the Honest of extra duties whereas channeling an extended historical past of group relationships, the Grand Island Chamber spearheaded volunteer initiatives that introduced forth tons of of volunteers to the Honest every year.

On the program’s top, greater than 1,000 people got here out to donate their time and abilities to the state’s premier occasion, yielding upwards of 16,000 hours of manpower yearly.

The volunteer program was set to go in-house on the Nebraska State Honest following the Honest in 2019. Unrelated issues of the Honest board and the hiring of a brand new govt director led to the choice to keep up the volunteer coordinator program with the Chamber for an extra two years.

“The explanation for the Chamber’s involvement all these years was help; help for the Honest and to additionally be sure that there was each stability and reliability with this very profitable and distinctive program. This allowed the Nebraska State Honest employees to deal with the numerous different aspects of internet hosting a profitable occasion,” Grand Island Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Johnson mentioned.

“The relocation of the Nebraska State Honest to Grand Island has confirmed to be a very good determination for the sustainability of the State Honest and mutually useful for the College of Nebraska, Grand Island and all of Nebraska. The Honest’s success in Grand Island is essentially as a result of keen help of the group and notably the management supplied by the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce,” mentioned Invoice Ogg, Government Director of the Nebraska State Honest. Ogg added, “Whereas I might genuinely welcome the Chamber to coordinate this vital Volunteer Program endlessly, I respect that Employees’s full time deal with Chamber priorities will higher serve the Chamber Mission.

The Nebraska State Honest not too long ago employed Haley Roush, a Grand Island native, as the brand new Volunteer Coordinator for the Honest. Roush will shadow present coordinator, Courtney Glock, till the tip of the yr. Glock believes it is going to be a seamless transition with an abundance of optimistic impacts to observe.

“I can’t say sufficient how a lot I beloved attending to coordinate the volunteers for the Nebraska State Honest during the last 5 years. Fostering relationships, constructing ambassadors, and rising our attain – however I do know this system can be greatest served beneath the roof of the Nebraska State Honest, the place it was meant to be from the start,” Glock mentioned.

“The Nebraska State Honest is indebted to the Chamber and to Courtney as she has been an amazing asset to the Honest on this function. I do know she is going to facilitate this transition with Haley to easily preserve an ongoing profitable Honest Volunteer Program. We applaud Courtney’s dedication and respect she is going to all the time be an engaged Honest ambassador,” Ogg mentioned.

Glock acknowledges it has been a tricky three years of recruitment, overcoming historic flooding and a worldwide pandemic. She is wanting ahead to at least one final yr of coordinating volunteers with hopes of a robust ending to an excellent run for the Grand Island Chamber.

“Grand Island is past grateful to be the host group for our state’s best occasion. Although the Chamber’s involvement will look a bit totally different, we anticipate many extra years of collaboration with the Honest,” Glock mentioned. “For now, we’re targeted on rebuilding our volunteer base and making certain the Honest has all of the serving to fingers they want come August.”

Loads of volunteer alternatives are nonetheless open, particularly for afternoon, night and weekend shifts. To see what alternatives can be found or to enroll, go to www.statefairvolunteer.org or contact Courtney Glock at cglock@gichamber.com or 308-382-9211.

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