2013-01-16 – UlsterCorps Elects New President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 16, 2013

UlsterCorps Elects New President

Rik Flynn, co-founder and Founding President of Ulster County’s hub for non-profits and community outreach, announced that as of January 1, 2013, Stephen Gilman has succeeded him as UlsterCorp’s president.

“I’m delighted that someone with Stephen’s strong community ties and enthusiasm for our mission has accepted this position,” Flynn said. “I am especially excited about his focus on fostering service among youth. I am confident that he will bring energy, creativity and commitment to UlsterCorps and I know we’re in good hands.”

Stephen Gilman is Education Director of the Center for Creative Education and was part of the creation of the Carnegie Learning Center on the campus of Kingston High School. The Stone Ridge resident is a Marbletown First Aid Unit volunteer, former High Falls Civic Association president, Ulster County Historical Society advisory board member, Hudson Valley for Obama founder, Hudson Valley Progressive Coalition co-founder, and founding board member of UlsterCorps.

“Rik Flynn, as our founding board president, helped bring UlsterCorps from a simple idea about increasing volunteering in our community to one of the most productive community volunteering networks in the nation,” said Gilman. “Rik’s a real hero in our community–a selfless, super-committed, kind and wise volunteer leader. Big shoes to fill. Rik inspires us all.”

Flynn, a retired educator, was president of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Ulster County BOCES Teachers’ Organization and a member of several state and national professional education organizations. He was also a vice-president of the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation (HVALF) and officer of the Upper Hudson Area Central Labor Council (UHCLC), AFL-CIO. He remains a board member of UlsterCorps.

In early 2009, Flynn helped create UlsterCorps as a county-wide response to Barack Obama’s call to community service. Along with Flynn, co-founders and UlsterCorps officers Nancy Pompeo and Beth McLendon established a website, ulstercorps.org, which maintains a list of current volunteer opportunities in the county. UlsterCorps works with other non-profits to facilitate collaborative responses to county challenges ranging from hunger to housing to preserving Ulster county’s priceless oral histories. UlsterCorps has initiated its own programs, including The Hunger Project, the Harvesting a Lifetime Project, and the U-Team, while also facilitating communication among the county’s non-profits and leaders both at its annual Service Summit and throughout the year.

For more information, contact UlsterCorps board member and press officer, Susan Barnett at media@ulstercorps.org or 845-481-0331.