Rachel Van Noordt has been a member of NCAVA for over two years now, making her a relatively new member of our community. She originally joined NCAVA as a way to increase her exposure to marketing, and quickly jumped in as an NCAVA board member, serving as the Social Media Coordinator.

Rachel is the Volunteer Services Coordinator for the City of Raleigh’s Park, Recreation, and Cultural Resources. In her day-to-day work, she “coordinate(s) volunteer events based on the needs of staff and wants of the community.” She also does advertising and reporting for each of these events. Their small team of 5 manages about 13,000 volunteers per year and helps to program 120 miles of greenway and 220 parks!

Rachel recently provided us with more information about her NCAVA story, which we are excited to share with you all:

Q: What inspired you to begin working with volunteers?

A: This was a unique opportunity with the City of Raleigh.

Q: What is an exciting project that you are currently working on?

A: We are in the midst of recruiting for special events for the fall. We are hosting a 5k, Falling for Local event, and an Open Streets event (and that's just one location).

Q: What would you say is your biggest accomplishment in your career thus far?

A: My biggest accomplishments are producing documents and leading events that are seen by higher-ups like the mayor.

Q: What advice would you give to other volunteer managers, especially those beginning their career?

A: Networking is crucial in these rolls - they can determine what you're able to accomplish.

To connect with Rachel about any topics mentioned in this interview, please email her at rachel.vannoordt@raleighnc.gov.