About Sarah (Sam) Elliston
I have been been working with volunteers and
training and teaching about them for over 20 years.
I spent 23 years with United Way’s Volunteer Center,
coordinating volunteers for city government, training local volunteer
coordinators and board volunteers, and managing the volunteer program for
United Way.
Before that, I taught High School English, French and
Social Studies in Utica, NY and Batavia, Ohio.
Before that, I earned a BA from the University of Maine in International Relations and a Master of Arts in
Teaching from Brown University.
While at United Way, I developed and managed
a
certificate-earning series on volunteer management with Northern
Kentucky University and the Union Institute and University. I also taught
both
undergraduate and graduate courses in Volunteer Program Management at
Northern
Kentucky University. This class is currently a required class in their
certificate series in Non Profit
Management.
My career at United Way included initiating and
managing the Municipal Volunteer Program, Volunteer Cincinnati, for 15
years. I also worked closely with non profit agencies to empower
their volunteer programs and boards of trustees and served on the
Executive Committee of the Cincinnati Association of Volunteer
Administrators. A major success was in developing a consulting team of professional volunteer administrators who worked with non profit organizations in
Greater Cincinnati to assess their volunteer programs and develop
strategies for greater success. We saw some impactful changes as a result of this process.
I am certified in Values Realization (see Sid Simon), Parent Effectiveness and Reality Therapy. I am on the faculty of the William Glasser Institute as a trainer and practicum supervisor. I have also attended the School for The Work of Byron Katie and I find it to be of immeasurable assistance in personal transformation.
I am also a Certified Volunteer Administrator, the highest level of professional certification in the field.
I have served as Board member and president of the Values Realization Institute, and a board member of Cincinnati Area Senior Services and the YWCA.
My business is as a consultant and trainer in Volunteer Effectiveness, Board Roles and Responsibilities, Strategic Planning and Dealing With Difficult People. I create in-service trainings, facilitate organizational retreats and train volunteers and paid staff.
I currently work part time as a coordinator of volunteers
at a faith based organization, the New Thought Unity Center in Cincinnati. It gives me a whole new approach to working with volunteers.
SI have published articles
with E- Volunteerism, Charity Channel and the Cincinnati Association for
Volunteer Administrator’s Newsletter. I have presented at the International Conference on Volunteer Administration, the Conference for National and Community Service and regional and state conferences in Ohio, Kentucky, Iowa, New York, Michigan and Illinois.
I welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the best service in the industry.
On the personal side, I was married for 23 years and I have a daughter, a son and a granddaughter. My son lives in NYC and is a Museum Educator while his sister works as a marketing expert and grant writer in Missoula, Montana. My grand daughter is in her second year at Cornell University.
The picture below was taken at a recent birthday party with me, my daughter, Linda, and my son, Bill.
