John Girdwood

Home Office: 6419 Beecher Rd., Flint MI 48532
Ph# 1-77-Girdwood or email john@johngirdwood.com

Educational History

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI
PhD in Sociology, expected graduation 2014
Concentrations: Health and Well Being; Aging and the Life Course
Additional focus: Sociology of Sports
First Year GPA: 3.5

Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant MI
Master of Science in Administration
Concentrations: Non-Profit Management and Public Administration
Graduated: 3.82 GPA

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo MI
Bachelor of Arts, April 2002
Dual Major: Philosophy and Comparative Religion
Concentration in Philosophy: Professional Ethics

Teaching Experience

• ISS 210 Society and the Individual – Technology and Society (Interim Teaching Assistant; Spring 2010)
• SOC 315 Family and Society (Invited Summer 2010; planned; course canceled due to number enrolled)
• Expected Course Plan
  • Family and Society (Expected Summer 2011)
  • Sociology of Work (Expected Summer 2011)
  • Sociology of Sports (Expected Summer 2011)
  • Youth and Society (Expected Summer 2011)
  • Political Sociology (Expected Summer 2011)
  • Contemporary Communities (Expected Summer 2011)
  • Sociology of Mass Communication (Expected Fall 2011)
  • Social Problems (Expected Fall 2011)
  • Sociology of Health Care Systems (Expected Spring 2012)

Papers

• (2009). The influence of paternal relationships on the development of athletic male offspring. Michigan State University
• (2009). Discovering inconspicuous exploitation: Applying the theories of W.E.B. DuBois to American sports sociology. Michigan State University
• (2009). Challenging traditional gate-keeping power and control: How new media transcended conventional mass media roles. Michigan State University
• (2008). Some eligible people actually are too proud to beg: Recommendations for increasing food stamp participation of eligible households. Central Michigan University
• (2007). Bringing outside music inside Michigan’s K-12 classrooms: A foundation to increase diversity. Central Michigan University
• (2007). Taking a non-profit from incorporation to sustainability: How leadership applied to the formation, planning, and initial operating stages of the OMIA Foundation. Central Michigan University
• (2007). A strategic plan to diversify public education through the Michigan Department of Education. Central Michigan University

Public Speaking/Presentations

• (2010, June 26). Volunteer participation: The other half of the equation we often take for granted. The Moyer Foundation

Associations

• Academic
  • American Sociological Association
    • Journals received: ASR and Teaching Sociology
    • Sections: Teaching and Learning; Family; Aging and the Life Course; Culture; Children and Youth; Ethnomethodology and Conversational Analysis
  • Michigan Sociological Association
• Professional
  • Michigan Hospice Volunteer Coordinators Association (MHPCO)
  • The Society for the Arts in Health Care
  • Michigan Council of Directors of Volunteer Services

Professional Experience

(2008, April) until Present
McLaren Visiting Nurse and Hospice, Davison, MI
Coordinator of Volunteer Services

• Complete initial volunteer assessments through direct patient contact
• Directly involved in fund raising for hospice
• Coordinate yearly “Camp Forget-Me-Not” grief camp for children ages 6 – 14 years
• Plan, develop, and implement every facet of volunteer program
• Recruit, select, train, and assign volunteers
• Participate in interdisciplinary hospice team
• Function as part of community and education activities related to volunteer services
• Maintain records, draft reports, and manage documentation connected to all duties

(2008, April) until Present as a Volunteer
(2006, June) until (2008, April) Employed
Michigan’s Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly, Lansing, MI
Call Center Operations | Volunteer Application Assistant

• Public speaking: hosted trainings; gave presentations to community; completed FAP applications for seniors in poverty; managed scheduling and set up for program events
• Intra-office collaboration: developed web site and maintained technical support for MiCAFE and Elder Law of Michigan, Inc.; worked with outside consulting firm to compile data and reports; collaborated with LHMS attorneys to manage and lead a team of student interns
• Communication: problem solved over the phone; drafted letters for program director; coordinated volunteer training; shipped marketing supplies; placed materials orders; developed outreach publications

(2005, July) until (2008 April)
Michigan House of Representatives, Lansing, MI
Part-time Support

• Team environment: assisted scheduler, constituent affairs staff member, legislative liaison, and Representative individually and collaboratively to complete tasks
• Clerical: conducted hard copy and electronic document filing; email and letter responses drafted for Representative to approve and sign; answered phones and greeted visitors

(2005, August) until (2006, June)
Elder Law of Michigan, Inc., Lansing, MI
Legal Intern and Coordinator of Volunteers and Panel Attorneys

(2005, August) until (2005, November)
State of Michigan Attorney General
Charitable Trust Division, Lansing, MI
Student Assistant specializing in data entry & charitable solicitation licensure

(1997, August) until (1999, January)
State of Michigan HIV/AIDS Prevention and Intervention Services
Department of Community Health, Lansing, MI
Student Assistant specializing in data entry & disease prevention

Professional Conferences (Attended & Forecast)

• 2010 Volunteer Match Non-Profit Webinars
  • (2010, May 18) Single Days of Service: Make It Work
  • (2010, May 25) Managing Difficult Volunteer Transitions
  • (2010, May 27) Best Practices for Recruiting Online
  • (2010, June 15) Making Volunteer Engagement Everyone’s Job
  • (2010, June 22) Social Media and Volunteer Engagement
  • (2010, July 15) Engaging Pro Bono and Skilled Volunteers
  • (2010, July 22) Successful Volunteer Interview Strategies
• 2009 Michigan Hospice Volunteer Coordinators Association Annual Retreat
  • Focus: Changes in Conditions of Participation
• 2008 Volunteer Management Training Series
  • Presented by: Capital Area United Way Volunteer Center
  • Theme: Understanding Volunteering & Planning a Volunteer Program
    • Recruiting and Placing Volunteers
    • Evaluating Volunteer Programs
    • Material focused on the Points of Light Foundation Volunteer Management Training Series
• 2008 Volunteer Management Seminar
  • Presented by the Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo
    • (2008, March 6) Supervision, Evaluation, and Recognition
    • (2008, February 21) Marketing, Recruitment, Orientation, & Training
    • (2008, February 12) Volunteer Program Planning: Writing Effective Job Descriptions
• 2008 Michigan Hospice Volunteer Coordinators Association Annual Retreat
  • Focus: The New Conditions of Participation
  • Guest Speaker: Penny Murphy, RN, CEO of Avalon Hospice
• 2006 New Vitality: Strategies to Grow Your Volunteer Program
  • Host: Michigan Non-Profit Association

Extracurricular

• Participated in Toastmasters International and held position on local Board
• Volunteer as Chairman of the Board for the Non-Profit OMIA Foundation
• Michigan State University Department of Sociology Grievance Hearing Board
• Three year MSU football season ticket holder