Recipients and Nominees 2022

International Volunteer Award Recipients and Nominees 2022

We proudly announce recipients and nominees for our Chapter Volunteer Award, National Volunteer Award, International Volunteer Award, and the Dr Jennifer Watson Outstanding Contribution Award, as part of the 2022 CISV International Volunteer Awards!

Chapter Volunteer Award Recipients

Diego Bension, Fernanda Fraga,and Mandy Buzzetti from CISV Uruguay!

It is our honour to recognize the incredible efforts of Fernanda, Diego, and Mandy. In 2019, they took on the challenge of restarting CISV Uruguay, and in just a few short years, they have accomplished so much. They maintained engagement throughout the pandemic by participating in online activities such as CISV @ Home and partnering with local LMO’s, showing their unwavering dedication. In early 2022, they resumed in-person activities with an impressive 12 trained leaders and 35 participants participating locally. Their hard work paid off as they successfully sent a delegation to each program in Dec/Jan 2022. Diego, Mandy, and Fernanda have approached the development of the Chapter with a strong strategy and commitment that will see them host their first programme in 2025 despite the impact and challenges faced due to the pandemic. Most importantly, they have worked together as a team to move the Chapter forward and inspire others to join in. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition and thank you for all that you have done for CISV Uruguay.

Chapter Volunteer Award Nominees

(Further details of their amazing efforts will be shared here once signed off by the nominee.)

• Shannon Andre, Judi LaPolla, Joleen DeGaten, Kristen Rock, Dave Armstrong (CISV Northeast Ohio Chapter Board)
• Angela Brown
• Felicity (Fliss) Edwards-Wright
• Tanja Elgendy

National Volunteer Award Recipient

Alfred Steinwender

Alfred Steinwender is a long-time CISVer who has been seen as a leader within CISV Austria for many years, supporting them through various challenges. In 2021 he stepped up into the role of National Risk Manager and has continued to lead with a positive and proactive approach to Risk management in 2022. Though it was a challenging time and position, Alfred provided leadership and a positive approach to the demands of the role. With Alfred leading, everybody felt like they were able to contribute and were especially willing to support risk management processes and bring in their respective knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes to make it a success. And, as his nominator said, “The impact on the quality of our organization as well as his impact on the positive aspects of the process cannot be overestimated.” Thank you, Alfred, for your dedication, leadership, and hard work!

National Volunteer Award Nominees

(Further details of their amazing efforts will be shared here once signed off by the nominee.)

• Björn Kåberger
• Felicity Edwards-Wright
• Floriane Gabriel
• Iris Dagan
• Katharina Schwarzer
• Programmes and Training Committee CISV Italy
• Tanja Elgendy

International Volunteer Award Recipient

Thom Kunz

We are pleased to present this International Volunteer award to Thom, whose work as an International Volunteer has fundamentally changed the way NA’s administer programs. Through his tireless efforts and work on myCISV, which he was instrumental in designing and developing as well as implementing. Thom has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving the user experience by providing patient, kind, and extremely responsive support for any questions or concerns that arise. Thom has shown that he is always striving to improve the way we work and make it even better for everyone. His dedication has had a significant impact, and we cannot thank him enough for his incredible work. Congratulations, Thom, on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for all that you have done to improve the CISV experience for everyone.

As one nominator wrote “Every single participant and volunteer will, at some point, have been impacted by work that Thom has completed, contributed to, or influenced. Whether they have browsed cisv.org, sent an e-mail to someone with an official role, logged on to myCISV, completed a PDPEF, registered a national programme or JB event, requested IT support…Thom’s fingerprints are everywhere”.

International Volunteer Award Nominees

(Further details of their amazing efforts will be shared here once signed off by the nominee.)

• Ana Paulina Quero and Ximena Carreño – CISV At Home Team
• Bobit Manzano
• Gillian Uy
• Katharina Schwarzer
• Maarin Cecilia “Maggs” M. Cabato
• Michael Klöpper
• Pete Learoyd
• Yesim INAL

Dr. Jennifer Watson Outstanding Contribution Award Recipient

Gerri Straus

It is our pleasure to announce the recipient of the Dr. Jennifer Watson Outstanding Contribution Award. This award recognises Chapter, National or International volunteers who have made an outstanding contribution to the organization over a long period of time. This award is named in memory of Dr. Jennifer Watson and her many years of outstanding contribution to CISV Great Britain and CISV International. For 60 years, Jennifer committed herself to the advancement of CISV and our educational goals. Her love for CISV and passion for education inspired decades of unparalleled volunteer contributions to provide incredible educational experiences for young people.

Gerri’s involvement in CISV spans several decades. Over the years, she has held various leadership positions in CISV at the local, national, and international levels, including serving as President of CISV Canada in the early to mid-1990s, and later as the Trustee for Canada to CISV International.

Gerri’s impact on CISV, particularly in the areas of Risk Management, Training, and Junior Branch (JB), cannot be overstated. Her development of comprehensive Leadership Training programs and Risk Management protocols and policies ensured the organization’s ability to continue operating globally despite instability and industry challenges. Gerri’s work in Leadership Training happened at the Chapter, National, and International levels, and in this work, she also was a mentor and leader who inspired others to become and contribute their best to the organisation. As President and Trustee, Gerri placed youth involvement at the core of the organization’s decision-making, ensuring that the voices of youth leaders were respected. Gerri was a mentor to many in the organization who have since taken on leadership positions in CISV. While she is a friend to many, she has always been available to provide a listening ear, encouraging advice and aiding in problem-solving efforts. Indeed, Gerri mentored a new generation of leaders that have carried on her legacy. Gerri’s tireless energy, constant positivity, and engagement at all levels of the organization make her an outstanding role model, and her impact on CISV will be felt for generations to come.

We would like to share a few of the examples provided by her nominators: “the risk management policies Gerri helped develop helped ensure the organization was able to secure liability insurance at a time when the industry was looking at stepping away from programs deemed “high risk”. Gerri, along with a team of colleagues in the organization were able to use their legal backgrounds to define what CISV would have to do to manage its risk framework.”

“Gerri designed, built and delivered an amazing training program for CISV Canada. The materials she developed were noticed and then adapted into the international training program for CISV International, where she eventually became the International Training Chair. Through Gerri’s leadership, national associations used the training materials and the need for quality training became an expectation throughout the CISV world. The concepts and ideas developed at the 1986 seminars sparked the desire and Gerri cared enough to develop an international training program that helped CISV develop into a more respected international organization”.

Thank you, Gerri and congratulations!

Dr. Jennifer Watson Outstanding Contribution Award Nominees

• Thom Kunz