Persis McGinn didn’t know anyone in Morgan Hill when she moved here from Mountain View with her husband nearly four years ago. But she started volunteering almost as soon as she got here, and now it seems like she knows everybody.
“All the people I volunteer with are my friends now,” said McGinn, 52, who works at WG Construction in Santa Clara – a workplace whose managers understand the value of giving back to the community and therefore allow her the time to do just that, she added.
McGinn was selected as the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce 2013 Volunteer of the Year. It is one of the Chamber’s annual Celebrate awards, and McGinn will be honored at a lavish ceremony Jan. 26 along with other winners at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center.
A lot of McGinn’s volunteer efforts have been with the Chamber itself, serving on its commerce and visitors center program committee. In that capacity, she has helped book speakers for monthly Chamber breakfasts and lunches.
She also created and hosts “The CFO (Crafting for Others) Group” at her office, making handcrafted greeting cards for different organizations such as Valentines cards for veterans, Mother’s Day cards for the Emergency Shelter Program and holiday cards for Community Solutions.
She has also volunteered with the Building Owner and Management Association, and for the last few years has helped raise money for that group’s Share Your Holiday event in San Jose.
McGinn also serves on the board of directors for the Milpitas Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the group Commercial Real Estate Women and the Santa Clara Toastmasters.
Chamber Director Lorraine Welk, who was chair of the Chamber board last year, said she has known McGinn for about four years – as long as McGinn has lived and volunteered in Morgan Hill. Welk said volunteers like McGinn are invaluable to the Chamber, which has a small staff and a “working board” of directors.
“Persis has always brought very positive change to the (programs) committee,” Welk said. “She has been responsible, dependable, with a can-do attitude. We need that to enrich our programs.”
McGinn said volunteering is “kind of in my blood.” She said her mother volunteered for her community quite a bit when she was growing up.
“It’s gratifying, and it serves a purpose,” said McGinn. She described her volunteer efforts as “lots of little things,” rather than focusing on one or two large programs or efforts.
McGinn and her husband have two grown sons, and four grandchildren.
This year’s other Celebrate award winners are Cricket Rubino (Woman of the Year), Bob Snow (Man of the Year), Bonnie Tognazzini (Educator of the Year), Jennifer Gonzalez (Student of the Year), and Smart Products Inc. (Business of the Year).
Tickets and sponsorships for the Celebrate award ceremony are available through the Chamber’s website, www.morganhill.org, or by calling (408) 779-9444.
What: Dinner and awards ceremony honoring the seven 2013 Chamber of Commerce Celebrate Awards Winners.
Where: Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road.
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26.
Tickets and information: Chamber’s website, www.morganhill.org
