Weyers selected as Part of Current’s Future 15!

Current created the young professional awards in 2007 as a way to honor those contributing to our mission to attract, engage, develop and retain young talent in Greater Green Bay. This year marks the inaugural presentation of the Future 15 to recognize the emerging leaders in our community who will serve as the next generation of leaders and who contribute significantly to Greater Green Bay’s overall quality of life. Read on to see the difference these individuals are making.

Click HERE to see the other 14 members selected.

Jody Weyers, Volunteer and Communications Director for American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter: In her role at the American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter, Weyers relies on volunteers to help her make a difference in the lives of Brown County. Even after working at the ARC for 10 years, her passion for promoting volunteerism is as strong as ever. Weyers manages the chapter’s 500 volunteers and also works on a contract basis as the volunteer coordinator for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, Door County Triathlon, Fall 50 Distance Run and Festival Foods Turkey Trot. Weyers’ responsibility is to provide the channels and support to those wanting to give back to the community.

Two years ago, Weyers looked at the demographics of the chapter’s volunteer base and realized nearly 80 percent of them were over the age of 50. The stats spurred Weyers to establish two programs. The first was the creation of a Red Cross College Club on the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay (UWGB) campus designed to introduce young adults to the Red Cross and to promote civic and community engagement. The club, now entering its third year, has 40members.

The second program Weyers developed was the Red Cross Honor Guard, which pays final respects to deceased volunteers and staff members to honor their time, service and dedication. Weyers is always networking—she never knows if the next connection made may lead to her next volunteer. While she originally became involved in local organizations as a recruitment tool, she soon realized the benefits of getting to meet so many people in the community—great friendships have been made.

Attending a variety of events has allowed Weyers to tune into what is happening in Green Bay. She’s become a walking billboard, relaying opportunities to others to get involved. Weyers is an advocate for the volunteer management profession. She is a member of the Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement (ALIVE), a national organization on volunteer engagement. She is also entering her third term as president for the Bay Area Managers of Volunteer Service, a group of volunteer coordinators in the Brown County area that share best practices in recruitment and management. She has been asked to speak on various panels related to volunteerism and service at UWGB, the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and a handful of schools in the community.

When she isn’t organizing volunteers, Weyers is volunteering herself. She’s helped with the Bellin Run, Prevea 3-on-3 basketball tournament and downtown Green Bay clean-up events. Weyers said she feels blessed to be in a profession where she knows she’s making a positive impact on her community. And after 10 years, she is still learning. “Each volunteer that I come in contact with has a way of touching me or teaching me something new,” said Weyers. “I do what I do because I love working with people, helping them find their passion, and doing what I do best– supporting my community.”