Service Spotlight: John McEnhill
Volunteer Service Spotlight: John McEnhill
NRCA Board of Directors member 16 years, Chair since 2012.
An NRCA Board of Directors’ member since 2002, John shared, “It is in my DNA to volunteer for nonprofits in my community. I grew up with a front row seat to my parents’ heavy participation in civic organizations and serving on the local governing boards such as the school board. I started at age 18 serving on non-profit boards. It is a terrific way to connect with your community and feel ownership of the need to address unmet needs in my community,” John commented. He feels that before you can complain, you need to be willing to be part of the solution for changes in society. “Sometimes to be an effective agent of change, you must be patient, persistent, and sometimes wait for the right opportunity, if it is a matter of timing,” John points out.
John was asked why he was so passionate about NRCA’s mission. John responded, “I personally experienced poverty due to a medical condition at one point in my life, and a CAP agency helped me when I could least help myself. Informed by own experience because of a health crisis, I value the safety nets that CAP programs provide – ‘the hand up’. This is why I serve on the NRCA Board and served on the Tri-Area Community Health Board for nine years. Access to affordable, accessible health care was a barrier to getting back to self-sufficiency and I relied heavily on a community action program to help me access the resources I needed. The more I became involved with NRCA, the more I recognized the difference between generational poverty (growing up in poverty) and experiencing poverty temporarily. The latter can often be more easily addressed, especially when there is a family support network that can fill in the gaps. The former keeps me motivated to be part of the constant striving to implement change to break the cycle.”
When John came to Virginia, he visited NRCA to become a volunteer and answered an ad to be a Board member. Why stay for 16+ years at NRCA? “It is pretty easy for me, NRCA is an A+ organization. It is the Gold standard, due to the staff who work at NRCA,” John emphasized. He often uses NRCA as an example to follow for other organizations in which he has a role. “I wouldn’t stick with an organization unless I felt it was worth my time and real change and impact was happening.”
John currently works as the Floyd County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. The combination of his Chamber role with his NRCA Board role provides opportunities to help “connect the dots” in the community. He was also an effective advocate as the former Executive Director of The Jacksonville Center (now The Floyd Center for the Arts). John feels that good leadership requires a lot of time and effort but synching his day job with the NRCA Board and other human services organizations becomes easier when the same goals overlap. John also serves on the Floyd County Department of Services Board, which serves a population similar to NRCA’s. John saw this as an opportunity to further strengthen the strong relationship between Social Services and NRCA, and he provides a unique governance perspective from familiarity with both organizations.
NRCA depends heavily on local community support. When John was asked why should a potential donor consider giving to NRCA, he noted, “Hands down, NRCA is an A+ organization with clearly measurable results impacting the local community. Funding is so heavily leveraged through a significant network, NRCA has powerful and long-standing resources to put contributions to beneficial use. For every federal dollar, $1.55 is leveraged by other funding sources, including in-kind.”
When asked about NRCA’s continuing success, John noted, “NRCA has a great culture; a commitment to program services, quality personnel, financial oversight, and technology.” John participates in state and national board governance training for exposure to forward-thinking examples from what others are doing that he might successfully incorporate at NRCA.
New River Community Action is extremely grateful for John’s positive leadership and long-lasting advocacy for its programs and impact on the residents in the New River Valley. Terry Smusz, NRCA CEO, noted, “John sees the big picture and pushes NRCA to be the best agency it can be. His enthusiasm and dedication are contagious. He is a true champion for community action and for those in need.”