Hogan Administration Appoints New Leadership for Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism and Volunteer Maryland
Champions Volunteerism, Civic Engagement Across the State
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced the appointment of Nicki Fiocco as the new director of the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism. Sharon Lewis will replace Fiocco as the new director for Volunteer Maryland, and Kerry Ose will be promoted to Deputy Director for the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism.
“I congratulate Nicki on this well-deserved role. Her experience increasing the platform of service and volunteerism statewide is extremely beneficial for our team and for all Marylanders,” said Steven McAdams, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives. “Nicki is known for using her experience as an AmeriCorps member and program manager to emphasize the importance of community engagement while harnessing the power of human capital at every level, so we are thrilled for her to lead this team and continue to change Maryland for the better.”
Since 2017, Fiocco has served Volunteer Maryland as the executive director, establishing strategic partnerships and spearheading outreach campaigns that increase the awareness of AmeriCorps across the state, and increase the volunteers recruited by Volunteer Maryland’s AmeriCorps members. She utilizes her prior experience to support her belief that “there are no obstacles, only opportunities.” With an extensive background in program management, implementation, and customer relations, as well as in volunteer and community outreach, Fiocco began serving Volunteer Maryland as the program manager in 2015. Previously, she served as an assistant supervisor for Constituent Services within Governor Hogan’s Executive Services Office and as the volunteer and community outreach coordinator for Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks.
As a proud AmeriCorps alum, Ose has served as the Senior Program Officer for GOSV since 2017, overseeing a portfolio of approximately 20 AmeriCorps programs and 800 members. Ose uses her seasoned knowledge of national service to foster relations with existing and new AmeriCorps programs to ensure a high-quality portfolio that increases the national service footprint in the state of Maryland.
A unit of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, the Office on Service and Volunteerism oversees more than $5 million in AmeriCorps grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service for programs that address critical community needs. The office also recognizes effective volunteer program management and honors thousands of volunteers across the state with certificates and special awards.
Lewis has an extensive background in volunteer program management traveling throughout the state to support AmeriCorps members and Volunteer Maryland’s partner sites that build volunteer program capacity to better serve the communities and lands that we share. Prior, Lewis served as a Volunteer Maryland AmeriCorps Member for two years at the CASH Campaign of Maryland; formerly known as the Baltimore CASH Campaign. After AmeriCorps, she spent two years as CASH’s first full-time Volunteer Coordinator and is still an active tax volunteer. Lewis believes it is “an honor to grow with an organization with a mission to help better Maryland’s communities and environment by training AmeriCorps members to mobilize its citizens to volunteer.”
Volunteer Maryland is entering its 28th year as a pioneer of the multiplier model which has been recognized as an innovative way to leverage the energy and talents of AmeriCorps members. Since its inception, Volunteer Maryland has built more than 350 partnerships with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and schools across Maryland, resulting in over 135,000 volunteers mobilized to serve 2 million hours. Under her three years of leadership, Volunteer Maryland has recruited over 12,000 volunteers to serve 60,000 Marylanders in need and protect 80 acres of Maryland public lands.
“Kerry Ose and Sharon Lewis are both experienced and accomplished leaders who have grown with their organizations,” said Steven McAdams, Executive Director for the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives. “I congratulate both and look forward to the lasting, positive change they will facilitate.
