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For More Information
Karen Jeffries, Public Relations Manager
(831) 644-7548
kjeffries@mbayaq.org
Angela Hains, Public Relations Senior Associate Manager
(831) 647-6804
ahains@mbayaq.org
04/16/2010
Each year the Monterey Bay Aquarium has the challenging task of selecting just a few from over 1,000 volunteers as the recipients of the Lucile S. Packard Memorial Award for outstanding volunteer service. The recipients are always announced during the aquarium’s annual celebration of National Volunteer Month in April.
This year’s honorees – Nancy O’Neal of Pebble Beach and Judy Proud of Pacific Grove – were recognized as individuals “whose dedication and selfless service exemplify Mrs. Packard’s lifelong commitment to volunteerism.” Award criteria include the impact of the individual’s activities on the aquarium, their commitment to the aquarium’s mission, objectives and goals and their length of service and number of hours contributed.
The awards will be presented at the annual volunteer gala at the aquarium on April 17.
All of the Lucile Packard Award honorees epitomize the hallmarks of aquarium volunteers: service to others, commitment to the aquarium’s mission and a love of nature. And each is outstanding in different ways.
Nancy O’Neal has been volunteering at the aquarium for 15 years, and in that time has accumulated 4,197 volunteer hours. Her “infectious enthusiasm” has touched countless guests and coworkers throughout the aquarium.
She is a seasoned animal care volunteer for the Sea Otter Research and Conservation (SORAC) program. In addition she has years of experience as a volunteer guide and shift captain and contributed many hours assisting the Volunteer Resources office.
“As a SORAC volunteer, Nancy has distinguished herself as one of our most highly-valued team members,” says Karl Mayer, SORAC’s animal care coordinator. “Her effectiveness as a volunteer is due in part to her ability to adapt to the ever-changing challenges of animal care.”
O’Neal often subs on open SORAC shifts to ensure there is full coverage to care for the animals on-site and frequently stays past her regular shift to help train new volunteers. When she is not traveling or volunteering at the aquarium she’s cleaning up trash on the beach or helping organize beach cleanups for California Coastal Cleanup Day. Her peers have noticed how she is simultaneously a student of the aquarium and a teacher of its principals.
“Nancy is and always will be a guide at heart. She seems to delight in engaging our visitors, drawing them into the exhibits, teaching them about the natural history and challenges facing some of our Monterey Bay residents,” says Miki Elizondo, manager of volunteer resources operations. “She is constantly supporting and exemplifying the aquarium’s mission.”
Judy Proud has volunteered at the aquarium since 2003 and has donated over 2,822 hours of time in 7 years. Her multi-varied skills have made her an invaluable asset in every department she has donated time and certainly the cornerstone of the aquarium’s Evenings by the Bay extended summer hours – managing both the recruitment and organization of volunteers for those evenings. She has been a volunteer guide, shift captain, mentor, student guide mentor and chief editor of the Emeritus Volunteer Newsletter.
“Judy’s tremendous contribution helping to recruit and organize the volunteers for Evenings by the Bay is phenomenal. Those summer evenings at the aquarium would not be successful without her support,” says Elizondo.
In addition to working with the guide program, Proud enjoys working with youth. She gets inspired when assisting school groups in the Discovery Labs and mentoring volunteer teens during the summer. In 2008 she designed Family Connections Program for the summer student guides, taking the lead as tour coordinator for student guide family members in 2008 and 2009.
“Judy is an ambassador of the aquarium and our conservation message for our guests and shift members,” adds Elizondo.
Proud is also Vice President of Gentrain and involved with the Pacific Grove Historical Society.
The late Mrs. Packard, along with her husband David Packard, made the initial gift to build the aquarium. She was the driving force behind creation of the aquarium’s internationally acclaimed volunteer program. Staff members in the aquarium’s Volunteer Resources Department are responsible for developing policy and procedures, recruiting, orienting and training volunteers – who in turn, assist the aquarium in inspiring conservation of the oceans.
More than 1,000 individuals are currently active volunteers at the aquarium. Collectively, they donated 156,750 hours in 2009.
The mission of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans. To learn more, visit www.montereybayaquarium.org.
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