Council members invited to join service program advisory board

By Eric Rangus erangus@emory.edu

Employee Council welcomed three guest speakers to its Oct. 17 meeting in Harland Cinema. Michelle Smith, director of corporate relations, led off with her presentation on EmoryGives, the University’s new workplace giving program. Smith included in her discussion an overview of the program as well as a short film describing EmoryGives.

Smith also introduced Wendy Wilson of Community Health Charities of Georgia—one of EmoryGives’ six charitable partners. Wilson detailed not only her own group’s work, but that of the other partners.

Volunteer Emory Director Hildie Cohen took to the podium next. She introduced council members to a program VE began last year called Social Entrepreneurs at Emory. It offers block grants to students who create new service programs. Cohen said council members and their constituents could support this program in two ways: through monetary donations or by serving on an advisory board.

Cohen said council members with experience on the boards of community organizations or a background in grant writing or another skill appropriate for nonprofit organizations would be ideal participants.

Cohen also invited council members to participate in a VE event Nov. 12, in which students and employees would travel to Cary Reynolds Elementary School in Doraville to read to the students in their classrooms.

The council expressed interest in participating and President Bill McBride said if additional transportation to the school was needed (Cohen said VE had the use of at least one van) he might be able to secure a van from Facilities Management.

Yvette Hart, benefits manager with Human Resources, was the council’s final guest speaker. She outlined some of the changes in Emory’s benefits packages so council members could inform their constituents.

In general council news, special issues chair Cheryl Bowie said her committee continues to work on issues involving the donation of unused sick leave to employees who may require it. Bowie also discussed working with the Rollins School of Public Health on the distribution of a short survey the school is working on to gauge constituent opinion on making the entire Emory campus smoke free.

Other items addressed by special issues included the Emory hospital cafeteria’s policy of offering 20 percent discounts to hospital employees rather than all Emory employees (it is an incentive for hospital employees to eat lunch on-site, Bowie said, not an attempt to exclude anyone) and possible ways to expand Emory’s courtesy scholarship program.

Membership chair Don Newsome said his committee will begin preparing for 2003–04 officer election next month, which is when the nomination process will begin. Voting will take place in February. The committee also is continuing its search to fill the vacant secretary-elect position.
Communications chair Cheryl Sroka and co-chair Susie Lackey discussed following up the council’s successful Grady information fair. The next event is planned for the spring. Since the response to the off-campus event was so strong, it was suggested that the next information fair be held at another external location, rather than the Dobbs Center, which was the original plan.

Council members overwhelmingly agreed and, and the communications committee was tasked to set up an off-campus site for the spring.

The next council meeting will take place Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. in the Jones Room of Woodruff Library.

If you have a question for Employee Council contact Bill McBride at wjmcbri@fmd.emory.edu.