Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 24, 1990 TAG: 9007230005
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KIM SUNDERLAND NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
About 20 applicants vied for the part-time position to direct the non-profit center, which serves as a clearinghouse for volunteers and as a liaison between businesses and volunteers.
Beginning Aug. 1, Alison Limoges, 41, a Blacksburg resident and a native of upstate New York, will organize approximately 1,200 volunteers to work with the various social services, civic organizations and businesses needing their assistance.
"I want the center to become more visible," said Limoges.
"I want to go out into the community and meet one-on-one with community leaders and business people to find out what they need and how we can help them."
The Voluntary Action Center's board of directors made an offer for a new director earlier this month when Elaine Higgs, director since 1988, resigned her position as of July 31 to move to Cullowhee, N.C., with her husband, who has completed his doctoral work at Virginia Tech.
Co-chairwoman Lelia Mayton said the board is "very pleased with the decision" and looks forward to working with Limoges.
"Her experiences in various volunteer roles" made her stand out from other applicants, Mayton said.
Those experiences include running an art center, teaching, traveling, research, editing and tutoring.
Limoges' husband, Ron Limoges, is working on his doctoral degree at Virginia Tech's Center for Public Administration and Policy. His past responsibilities as a consultant for private health foundations have taken the Limoges family all over the country and abroad.
With a master's degree in elementary and early childhood education from the University of Western Florida in Pensacola, Limoges has tutored pregnant teens on their high school equivalency tests, worked as a substitute teacher and taught English as a second language to Vietnamese refugees, taught Montessori pre-school, and conducted art and travel seminars in community colleges.
"I feel comfortable with adults and children," she said.
Limoges, who has two sons, ages 9 and 13, lives near Nellie's Cave Park and works as a research associate for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.
Although it's still too early to say which volunteer groups or social services need particular attention, Limoges plans to make the public more aware of the center in order to help all needy groups.
"The consensus of the board [of directors] is needed, but if they're willing, I'd like to continue what they're doing plus expand the number of volunteers and agencies," Limoges explained.
She hopes to recruit more student volunteers for the center, which not only screens and recruits, but trains and matches volunteers skills with community needs.
"She has such great experiences that will help her in this role," said Mayton.
"Hopefully, she'll be around for a number of years."
by CNB