Featured Alumnus: Jon Venuti

The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced a record-setting level of charitable giving by Federal employees through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). At a recent White House awards ceremony, OPM Director John Berry presented 25 awards to members of the federal workforce whose work contributed to raising nearly $276 million in pledges to non-profit programs in 2008 including SRPH graduate Jon Venuti.

At the White House ceremony, Director Berry recognized nine regional CFC campaigns for recording the largest increase in CFC pledges in 2008. Additionally, five campaigns were singled out for taking innovative steps to encourage employee contributions, while 11 federal employees were awarded special recognition for their leadership on behalf of the program.

Venuti, class of 2008, received the award due to his efforts in Northern Florida, specifically the United Way of North Central Florida. In Fall of 2008, he served as a United Way Loaned Executive for the Combined Federal Campaign, the charitable giving campaign for local federal employees administered by United Way of North Central Florida. As a loaned executive, Jon was tasked with galvanizing his fellow federal coworkers of six north Florida counties into donating to hundreds of charities. To make sure the 2008 CFC was a success, Jon organized a huge kickoff event that ignited the passion of federal employees, held an agency fair with 30 local organizations, and personally greeted every VA employee in the morning to tell them about the campaign.

Jon's efforts led to the CFC raising over $150,000 when previous campaigns have only raised $119,000 at most. Because of his efforts, Jon Venuti was selected as one of eight people out of over 300 applicants nationwide to be a CFC Hero.

Jon graduated from SRPH with his Master's in Hospital Administration in 2008. Currently, he is completing his fellowship at the Veteran's Administration hospital in Gainesville, Florida.