Today, at the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA) 2012 Campaign Kickoff, the organization recognized two outstanding public servants that have helped make the Campaign successful through their Hero Awards.
The Award winners were Edward Gingold of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and Lieutenant Commander Michael Edwards of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Sitting down with Edward Gingold this morning, I had the opportunity to speak with him about his past 34 years volunteering with the CFCNCA.
For the last eight years he has been Campaign Manager for FERC. Describing his experience he said, “I consider my involvement with the Combined Federal Campaign the crown jewel of my entire career.” He elaborated, “My day job, I’m an attorney. I’m a ghostwriter – I draft legal documents. We say in government, you never write what you sign, and never sign what you write.” His time with the CFC has given him additional opportunities that he may not have had in his day-to-day work.
A self-described people person, Gingold said that volunteering with the CFC has been a wonderful opportunity to work with other people within his agency. The committee he has led for the past eight years is highly committed, continuing to contribute their time and effort to the Campaign. He mentioned that the team with which he works all volunteer their time and professional skills, including their accountant, photographer, and graphic designer.
Of the 4,400 OPM approved charities, Gingold works with campaign volunteers at FERC to select a representative group of charities (23 during the 2011 campaign) from areas in education, animal care, and substance abuse to highlight at the agency. He donates to all of these organizations each year, each of which has touched the life of one of his fellow employees in some way. He said, “we have a kickoff, we have six weeks of events where we showcase a diverse and representative selection of charities, and then we have a charity fair finale.” Last year they hosted a mini-golf tournament as a part of the drive; each person donated a dollar to play and it was contributed to the final donation.
In Gingold’s experience, one of the greatest challenges in organizing the campaign is finding the time – coworkers have important work to accomplish, busy schedules, and many other demands for their time. This past year at FERC, however, 61 percent of employees donated to CFCNCA, for a combined impact of over $460,000. His leadership was recognized today as an integral force for that incredible accomplishment.
Looking to the future, the generational shift occurring within the federal workforce has been an additional challenge for campaign organizers; many recurrent donors are retiring from the Federal workforce and some younger employees are less familiar with the program. Gingold emphasized that reaching out to new people is an ongoing process – it won’t happen all in one year. He hopes through his legacy of volunteerism within FERC,he has left something that will carry on and serve as a tradition for the next generation of government leaders.
For more about the Campaign Kickoff, Check out: https://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/feds-continuing-with-the-spririt-of-charitable-giving-cfcnca-kick
Photo Credit: Mike Morgan
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