People who freely give their time without any thought of monetary reward deserve to be celebrated. And the County did just that by honoring its volunteers during the 2023 Volunteer Recognition Ceremony Tuesday at the County Administration Center.
Volunteers are truly valued for their donation of time, skills and knowledge. Their work makes all the difference in helping the County provide quality customer service.
Last fiscal year, 7,670 volunteers saved the County $23 million, allowing those dollars to go toward other programs and services.
During the event, Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas presented a proclamation for Volunteer Recognition Month to the County’s volunteer coordinator Marylyn Gines and departmental coordinators.
Afterward, the Board Supervisors recognized the volunteers that were nominated by departments as providing outstanding service. These 2023 County Volunteers of the Year are:
Michael Kirkeby – Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk
Erica Henke – Animal Services
Robert Carlyle, James Chagala, Eileen Delaney, Rebecca Falk, Sandra Farrell, Paul Georgantas, Delores Harmes, Steve Norris, Hans Petermann – District 5
Angie Good – San Diego County Fire
Vicki Driver, Susan Nichols – County Library
Brenda Wright – District Attorney
Laurie Mychaels – Aging & Independence Services Ombudsman
Michael Badger – Aging & Independence Services, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
Esmeralda Gomez – Behavioral Health Services
Sherman Kwan – Child Welfare Services
Nicholas Morelli – Child Welfare Services
Dr. Lillian Harvey, Camille Fitzpatrick, Dr. Cynthia Robertson – Medical Care Services
Robert Jacobs – North Central Mental Health Center
Susan Elliot – Parks & Recreation
Patrick Brown – Planning & Development Services
Steve Gonzales – Probation
Bianca Wilson – Child Support Services
Nyla Sammak – Public Defender
Shelly Pinomaki, Chaplain – Sheriff’s Dept.
Carol Graham – University of California Cooperative Extension
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you can find opportunities at a variety of County departments and through County partners. For more information, visit the Clerk of the Board’s volunteer program.