2004 Award Recipients

2005 Nomination Criteria - Download Here

Click here for a list of past award recipeints

2004 Award for Excellence by a Member of the Media
E.J. Dionne Jr.

Pictured Above: Recipient E.J. Dionne Jr. of the Washington Post (right), Irv Katz, National Assembly CEO (left)

This award is one for a person, group or organization in the media that delves deeply and intelligently into issues that affect human and community development. Carmen Delgado Votaw of the Alliance for Children and Families nominated E.J. Dionne and the selection committee enthusiastically concurred.

In receiving this award, E.J., joins peers like Jonathan Alter of Newsweek and fellow Washington Post columnist, and last year's recipient, Laura Sessions Step.

2004 Excellence in National Board Leadership Award
Frank Burnes

Pictured above: Irv Katz, National Assembly CEO (left,) recipient Frances X. (Frank) Burnes (center,) Robert Goodwin, President Points of Light Foundation and National Assembly Board Chair (right)

Nominated by Girls, Inc., Frank is managing director of J.P. Morgan Chase in New York . He began as a volunteer for Girls Clubs of America (now, Girls Inc.) in 1987. He chaired a number of committees and functions and became the first man elected chair of the national board in 2000---the first man to serve in a national leadership role at the organization!

Frank has been generous with his time, talent and treasure. Beyond spearheading strategic planning, business planning and executive search processes, he would clearly do just about anything for Girls Incorporated, including accepting a challenge to participate in "swing dancing" at a Girls Inc. fundraising event!

2004 Excellence In National Executive Leadership

Roxanne Spillett & Chuck Gould

Pictured above: Irv Katz, National Assembly CEO (left,) recipient Roxanne Spillett (center,) Robert Goodwin, President Points of Light Foundation and National Assembly Board Chair (right)

Roxanne Spillett is not just an executive who happens to run a youth development agency. She is a youth development professional-with 25 years of experience-who leads one of the largest and fastest growing youth-serving agencies in the nation.

She is well known for her partnership and fundraising skills. In fact, it is telling that a donor is rarely just a donor-it is a partner. Just ask Taco Bell, Coca-Cola and others.

It is no surprise that, under her leadership, the national office of Boys and Girls Clubs of America has received a 94% approval rating from its affiliates.

We honor her for these things and for her partnerships with many of the nonprofit organizations represented at the Assembly, including serving as vice chair of the National Assembly board and the driving force behind the Assembly's benchmarking initiative.

Pictured above: Irv Katz, National Assembly CEO (left,) recipient Chuck Gould (center,) Robert Goodwin, President Points of Light Foundation and National Assembly Board Chair (right)

Chuck Gould was responsible for moving Volunteers of America to Washington DC and he has made it a presence in Washington and around the nation. Under his leadership, Volunteers of America has grown to a network which has 15,000 employees, 70,000 volunteers, revenues of 700 million dollars, and that serves 1.8 million people a year.

The network over which Chuck presides is as diverse as any represented at the Assembly. Yet, since 1996, under his leadership, Volunteers of America has established its identity locally and nationally.

Chuck rises to leadership everywhere he goes, whether it is at the National Assembly, which he has chaired and steered through great change, or the National Affordable Housing Trust, which he has also chaired and led to grow from $6 million to over $100 million a year.

A member of the Bar of Minnesota, Colorado and Washington DC , we are grateful that chuck has decided to apply his skills in the nonprofit arena.