Reps. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI), Tim Roemer (D-IN), and Christopher Shays (R-CT) voiced their support at the September 25th board meeting at the Corporation's headquarters building in Washington.

"Our intent would be that early in the next calendar year that one of the first pieces of legislation that would move through the House would be the reauthorization for the Corporation," said Rep. Hoekstra, chair of the House Subcommittee on Select Education, which has jurisdiction over domestic volunteer programs. Hoekstra pledged to work with the White House and the new leadership of the Corporation to develop legislation to improve and extend national and community service programs.

Rep. Roemer, the ranking Democrat on the Select Education subcommittee, gave an enthusiastic endorsement of reauthorization, citing the increased importance of service programs in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks. "You have become even more critical to the health and vitality and the strength of this country," Roemer said. Longtime service champion Rep. Shays thanked the Corporation for doing "extraordinary work" and highlighted its decentralized structure, which promotes innovative problem-solving on the local level. "Our message to you today is that you will be reauthorized, and you will play a major role in how that reauthorization takes place," Shays said.

New board chair Stephen Goldsmith thanked the Congressmen for their comments and summarized four broad themes the board is discussing as it looks towards reauthorization. These themes are giving more direct help to small community and faith-based organizations; using public dollars to leverage more private resources; increasing efficiency by providing more local discretion while maintaining accountability; and providing state commissions more authority and less red tape in delivering programs.

Acting CEO Wendy Zenker reported on ways national service programs are responding to the September 11 terrorist attacks, including the deployment of 75 AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps members to staff a 24-hour hotline for the American Red Cross disaster center in Virginia.

In other business, the board approved a resolution recommending that the Corporation return to its original statutory name as given in Public Law 103-82, the 1993 law which created the Corporation for National and Community Service. By returning "community" to the name, Board members believe it better reflects the full mission of the Corporation and what it members, volunteers and students do everyday, which is to serve and strengthen communities. The board heard from Points of Light Foundation CEO Bob Goodwin about a collaborative venture on training for service leadership, and was updated on developments in service-learning by Flora Lazar of Learning Indeed, Nelda Brown of the State Education Agency Network, Barry Checkoway of the University of Michigan, and Elizabeth Hollander of Campus Compact.

Board members thanked Bob Rogers of Kansas City for his distinguished service as board member and chair from June 1996 to October 2001, particularly his leadership in charting a course for fiscal accountability and good management. The board also thanked Toni Faye, a former senior advisor for Time Warner, for her service on the board.

Created in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service engages more than 1.5 million Americans annually in improving communities through service in AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Service Corps. For more information, visit National Service.