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Why I Volunteer

When I joined SRAI and attended my first Section Meeting in 2006, I knew right after that meeting that SRAI was my community. People were engaging, inclusive, interested in my opinion, and saw potential in me that I had not recognized in myself.

I owe an abundance of gratitude and love to Gina Hedberg, Fran Stephens, Ellen Zavala, Jennifer Shambrook, Bill Hoffman, Dominic Esposito, and a host of others for their support, guidance, patience, and encouragement.

In 2011, Gina Hedberg from the University of South Alabama, and I founded the SRAI Alabama Chapter, and I presented at my first SRAI meeting. Due to the hard work of other Chapter members and leadership, our Chapter has grown, and we are now the SRAI Alabama-Mississippi Chapter. Before this, I volunteered at SRAI meetings as a room monitor or worked at the registration desk. I met some beautiful people during this time who later became my mentors, friends, and sisters, and brothers in love and faith. I witnessed the hard work and dedication of the HQ staff, and I appreciate their commitment and dedication to our members and the Society. 

My passion is and always will be professional development, with a focus on personalities, behavior, and leadership. I have had the privilege of presenting on these topics at Chapters, Sections, Annual Meetings, and webinars. As a volunteer, I have made friends that will forever be near and dear to me.

I am a knowledge sharer, and I do not know how to say NO, despite Gina’s attempts to intervene. I volunteer because it connects me to others like me (Research Administrators). We all share a common goal, which is to learn as much as we can and share it with as many as we can. I volunteer because it is good for my mental and physical well-being. I volunteer because there are so many people in SRAI that are willing to assist me in my professional growth and advancement. I volunteer because I enjoy working with others. I enjoy mentoring, knowledge sharing, and the camaraderie with my colleagues. I volunteer because it allows me to connect to SRAI and, along with all of you, to make it better. Because I volunteer, I have acquired new skills and build upon skills I already have and use them to benefit others within our community.

“Volunteering is at the very core of being a human. No one has made it through life without someone else’s help.” – Heather French Henry

Authored by Gloria Greene, CRA, Director, Office of Sponsored Programs
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
SRAI At-Large Board Member, Southern Section President, 2020

Gloria Greene is one of the candidates for one of the two At-Large Board Members for the Board of Directors.

Shape the future of our profession by casting your vote for the Board of Directors.

Voting will run through 11:59 PM PDT on Thursday, August 20, 2020.

Election ballots are sent via email to Full Members of SRA International. Please check your email inbox for the Board of Directors election ballot. If you are a Full Member of SRA International and did not receive a ballot, please contact elections@srainternational.org.