In November 2015, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward received a statewide public-service role alongside his responsibilities at City Hall.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott appointed Hayward to the Florida Commission on Community Service, better known as Volunteer Florida. The bipartisan commission advised state leaders on volunteerism, national service, community programs, and the use of volunteers during disasters.
Hayward filled a vacant seat for a term beginning November 13, 2015, and ending September 14, 2018. Like the other gubernatorial appointments to the commission, his selection was subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
The appointment was more substantial than membership on a ceremonial volunteer board. Volunteer Florida administered millions of dollars in AmeriCorps and community-service funding, supported nonprofit organizations, coordinated volunteer resources during emergencies, and helped shape statewide service policy.
For Pensacola, Hayward’s appointment also created a direct connection between Northwest Florida and an agency that had recently assisted the region after the destructive floods of 2014.
Governor Scott Announces Seven Appointments
Scott announced three new appointments and four reappointments to the Volunteer Florida Commission in November 2015.
Hayward was one of the new members. The other new appointees were Genean McKinnon, president of McKinnon Associates in Winter Park, and Cynthia “Cindy” O’Connell, a former secretary of the Florida Lottery.
Scott also reappointed James Croteau, Autumn Karlinsky, Natalia Martinez, and Gulf Breeze attorney Kerry Schultz.
The group represented different parts of Florida and several professional backgrounds, including local government, business, nonprofit leadership, education, technology, fundraising, and law.
That variety was intentional. State law required the commission to contain representatives of local government, businesses, community organizations, education, national service programs, labor groups, youth programs, and older adult volunteer initiatives.
No more than a narrow majority of voting members could belong to the same political party. The structure was intended to prevent the commission from functioning only as an extension of one political organization.
What Was Volunteer Florida?
Volunteer Florida was the public name used by the Florida Commission on Community Service.
The Legislature established the commission in 1994 as Florida responded to the federal National and Community Service Trust Act. Its purpose was to create a coordinated state approach to volunteerism and national service.
The commission was administratively connected with the Executive Office of the Governor but exercised its assigned responsibilities independently.
Its work addressed several areas:
- AmeriCorps and other national service programs;
- volunteer recruitment and management;
- education and youth support;
- environmental and community projects;
- public safety and emergency preparedness;
- disaster response and long-term recovery;
- grants for nonprofits, schools, and public agencies;
- recognition of exceptional volunteers.
Volunteer Florida did not operate as a single group of volunteers traveling from one project to another. It functioned primarily as a coordinating, grantmaking, and policy organization.
The agency connected federal and state resources with local organizations capable of addressing community needs.
The Commission’s Role in State Government
The commission advised the governor, Florida Cabinet, Legislature, and state agencies on volunteerism and community service.
Its members reviewed statewide needs and helped oversee the organization responsible for administering national-service funding. The commission also prepared an annual report describing its activities, assessing volunteerism in Florida, and recommending possible legislative or administrative changes.
Florida law authorized the commission to seek and accept grants, gifts, services, and funding from public or private sources. It could then use those resources to support programs consistent with its mission.
The board contained between 15 and 25 voting members. Governors appointed them on a bipartisan basis, and the Florida Senate confirmed the appointments.
Commissioners served three-year terms and could be reappointed. They did not receive salaries for their board service, although voting members could receive authorized travel and daily expense reimbursements.
The commission had to meet at least twice each year, although additional meetings could be called by its chair or a majority of members.
Hayward’s Role as a Local Government Representative
Hayward brought the perspective of a municipal chief executive to the commission.
He had served as Pensacola mayor since January 2011 and had won a second term in 2014. He was the first mayor elected under Pensacola’s strong-mayor form of government, which placed executive authority over city administration directly in the mayor’s office.
Local government experience was relevant to Volunteer Florida because many service programs operate through cities, counties, schools, emergency-management offices, and community nonprofits.
A state initiative may provide funding or general guidance, but local institutions usually determine how volunteers are recruited, trained, placed, and supervised.
Mayors also see where government services and private charitable efforts overlap. A city may work with volunteers during neighborhood cleanups, food distributions, youth programs, severe-weather responses, public events, and recovery after disasters.
Hayward could bring those practical municipal concerns into statewide discussions.
The Connection to Pensacola’s 2014 Flood
Volunteer Florida’s disaster responsibilities were especially relevant to Pensacola when Hayward joined the commission.
On April 29 and 30, 2014, extreme rainfall produced severe flooding across Pensacola and Escambia County. Roads failed, homes filled with water, vehicles became stranded, and residents required emergency rescue.
Recovery continued long after the water receded. Families needed help finding temporary housing, replacing possessions, completing assistance applications, repairing homes, and connecting with public and nonprofit services.
In January 2015, Volunteer Florida announced a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant of more than $905,000 for disaster case management in the Florida Panhandle.
The funding supported residents affected by the spring 2014 floods in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties.
Disaster case managers help survivors develop recovery plans and navigate assistance from government agencies, insurance providers, charitable organizations, and community programs.
The grant demonstrated that Volunteer Florida’s decisions could have direct consequences for families in Northwest Florida.
Recognizing Pensacola’s Flood Volunteers
Hayward had already worked publicly with Volunteer Florida before receiving his commission appointment.
In January 2015, he joined the organization in presenting Champion of Service awards to Manna Food Pantries and the United Way of Escambia County.
The awards recognized the two organizations for their response to the 2014 flooding.
Manna Food Pantries helped provide food to families affected by the disaster. The United Way coordinated organizations, volunteers, donations, and information during the emergency and recovery period.
The recognition highlighted an important feature of disaster response. Police officers, firefighters, public works employees, and emergency managers perform essential official duties, but governments rarely manage a major recovery alone.
Food banks, churches, charities, businesses, civic groups, and individual volunteers provide labor and resources that public agencies may not be able to supply quickly.
Volunteer Florida helped coordinate that wider network.
AmeriCorps Funding Across Florida
National service was another major part of the commission’s work.
In September 2015, Volunteer Florida announced approximately $19.9 million in federal and local funding for 30 AmeriCorps programs in the state.
The total included about $10.6 million in federal grants and approximately $9.3 million in matching resources.
AmeriCorps members perform structured periods of service through approved organizations. Their work can include tutoring students, supporting public health, helping veterans, restoring natural areas, responding to disasters, and building the operational capacity of nonprofit groups.
Members are not ordinary salaried employees, but their positions are more formal than occasional volunteering. Programs establish required service hours, supervision, training, performance targets, and community objectives.
Eligible members may receive a living allowance and an education award after completing their service.
Volunteer Florida evaluated programs, administered grants, monitored performance, and connected Florida organizations with the national AmeriCorps system.
Why Commissioners Mattered to Grant Programs
Professional staff handled the daily administration of grants, contracts, reporting, and program monitoring. Commissioners provided governance and public accountability.
They helped ensure that statewide priorities reflected conditions outside Tallahassee. A program that appeared effective on paper might encounter practical difficulties when implemented by a small nonprofit, rural school, or local government.
Commissioners with experience in different regions could identify those difficulties and ask whether funding reached communities with the greatest needs.
They also helped connect Volunteer Florida with businesses, elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and civic organizations that could support service projects.
Hayward’s presence gave Pensacola and the western Panhandle another representative within that network. Gulf Breeze attorney Kerry Schultz, who was reappointed at the same time, added a second Northwest Florida connection.
Volunteerism as More Than Unpaid Labor
Government discussions of volunteerism often focus on the number of hours contributed. The commission’s work required a broader view.
A volunteer program must identify a genuine community need. It must recruit people with appropriate skills, provide training, supervise their work, protect the people being served, and measure whether the activity produced useful results.
Poorly organized volunteering can consume staff time without solving the underlying problem. In a disaster, uncoordinated donations or untrained volunteers may even interfere with emergency operations.
Volunteer Florida therefore supported the organizations managing volunteers, not only the individuals providing service.
Its grants could help nonprofits improve recruitment, screening, training, retention, and evaluation. This created stronger institutions capable of using volunteer energy effectively.
Volunteer Florida and Emergency Management
Florida’s exposure to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and other emergencies gave Volunteer Florida an additional responsibility not shared by every state service commission.
After Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida in 1992, the organization evolved into the state’s lead agency for coordinating volunteers and donations before, during, and after disasters.
That role involved working with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, county emergency offices, nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, and national disaster-response networks.
During a major emergency, Volunteer Florida could help identify which organizations needed volunteers and what type of work was safe for them to perform.
It could also discourage people from arriving without an assignment. Unrequested volunteers may lack accommodation, transportation, protective equipment, or training, creating additional demands in an already damaged community.
Coordination helped turn public willingness to assist into organized recovery work.
The Florida Disaster Fund
The Volunteer Florida Foundation administered the Florida Disaster Fund, the state’s official private fund for helping communities recover after emergencies.
The fund accepted charitable donations rather than replacing government disaster programs. Money could support nonprofit and community organizations working on unmet recovery needs.
Long-term assistance is often necessary because insurance and government programs do not cover every loss. Families may need help repairing a home, replacing essential items, receiving counseling, or addressing problems that become apparent months after a storm.
The commission and its associated foundation maintained the structures needed to receive and distribute private support during those periods.
For a coastal city such as Pensacola, the ability to coordinate volunteers and donations after storms was a recurring public concern rather than a theoretical responsibility.
Service as a Tool for Education
Volunteer Florida also supported service programs focused on students and schools.
AmeriCorps members could work as tutors, mentors, attendance coordinators, or program assistants. Volunteers could support reading initiatives, after-school activities, and preparation for college or employment.
These programs did not replace teachers. Their purpose was to add focused assistance that school employees might not have enough time to provide.
For example, a trained reading tutor could meet regularly with a small number of students. A mentor could help a young person establish goals and connect with community resources.
The commission included members with education and youth-development experience so that state policy would reflect the needs of students, including young people facing economic or social disadvantages.
Community Service and Economic Development
Volunteerism is usually discussed as charitable activity, but it can also influence local economic conditions.
Neighborhood cleanup projects can improve public spaces. Mentoring and training programs can help participants prepare for employment. Disaster volunteers can assist businesses and families with recovery, allowing a damaged community to reopen sooner.
AmeriCorps members may gain skills and professional experience while completing their service. Nonprofits can use trained members to expand programs that would otherwise remain limited.
Hayward’s mayoral administration frequently emphasized economic development and the public appearance of Pensacola. Commission service offered another way to connect civic participation with those priorities.
A community able to organize volunteers, support local institutions, and respond effectively to emergencies may be better prepared to attract residents and employers.
Bringing the Commission to Pensacola
Hayward’s relationship with Volunteer Florida continued after the 2015 appointment.
In January 2017, Pensacola hosted a meeting involving the Volunteer Florida Commission and Foundation board.
Hayward welcomed commissioners to the city and presented Pensacola as an example of how public agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and volunteers could work together.
At that time, the city reported that Volunteer Florida directed approximately $31.7 million in federal, state, and local funding toward national-service and volunteer programs across Florida.
Holding a meeting in Pensacola gave commissioners an opportunity to see Northwest Florida institutions directly rather than conducting every discussion in Tallahassee or another large metropolitan area.
It also increased local awareness of an organization that many residents encountered only indirectly through grants or nonprofit programs.
Recognizing a Local Senior Volunteer
Hayward also used his commission role to highlight individual service in the Pensacola area.
In 2016, he praised Pati Koon of the Council on Aging of West Florida after she received national recognition for her volunteer work.
Koon assisted older adults through the organization and was selected for a Cabot Community Celebrity award.
Her service illustrated how volunteerism operates beyond large public campaigns. Many community needs are addressed through repeated, personal assistance provided over months or years.
Volunteers may deliver meals, visit isolated residents, help with transportation, support caregivers, or assist nonprofit staff with administrative work.
Recognizing those contributions can encourage other residents to become involved and remind the public that community organizations depend on consistent service rather than only emergency responses.
What the Appointment Did Not Mean
Hayward’s appointment did not give him direct control over every volunteer program or grant in Florida.
The commission operated collectively. Individual members participated in governance, discussion, voting, and advocacy, while professional staff administered daily operations.
The position also did not guarantee that Pensacola organizations would receive funding. Applicants still had to satisfy program requirements and compete through established grant processes.
Commissioners were expected to consider statewide needs rather than direct resources only toward their own communities.
Hayward’s value to Pensacola came from representation, information, and stronger connections. He could bring Northwest Florida experience into statewide discussions and help local organizations better understand available programs.
Balancing Two Public Roles
Hayward continued serving as Pensacola mayor while holding the commission position.
That arrangement was consistent with the board’s design. Florida law specifically required representation from local government, meaning some commissioners would hold public office elsewhere while serving.
The commission role was unpaid, apart from authorized expenses. It was not a second full-time government job.
Even so, the appointment added meetings, document review, statewide travel, and policy responsibilities to the mayor’s schedule.
The benefit was that local and state service policy did not develop separately. A mayor could explain how statewide programs affected municipal operations, while information from the commission could be shared with community organizations at home.
A State Appointment with Local Relevance
The November 2015 announcement was brief, but the institution behind it had a broad mission.
Volunteer Florida managed funding, advised state leaders, supported AmeriCorps programs, coordinated disaster volunteers, administered recovery resources, and recognized people serving their communities.
Hayward entered the commission after Pensacola had experienced one of its most serious recent floods. He had already seen local nonprofits respond when residents needed food, shelter, information, and long-term recovery support.
His appointment gave that experience a place within Florida’s statewide volunteer system.
The term also reflected the commission’s governing philosophy. Volunteerism was not expected to come only from charities or individual residents. Businesses, schools, local governments, state agencies, and national-service programs all had roles.
By appointing a sitting mayor, Scott added a municipal perspective to a board responsible for connecting those groups.
Why the 2015 Appointment Matters
Volunteer boards rarely receive the same attention as elections, major construction projects, or legislative debates. Their decisions can still shape how public money and community resources are used.
The Volunteer Florida Commission influenced programs serving students, veterans, disaster survivors, older residents, nonprofits, and communities across the state.
Its members helped guide an organization responsible for tens of millions of dollars and a statewide network of service programs.
For Pensacola, Ashton Hayward’s appointment represented more than another title for the mayor. It linked the city with Florida’s central organization for volunteerism and national service at a time when Northwest Florida understood the importance of coordinated community response.
The 2014 flood had shown how quickly residents could need assistance. The recovery had also shown how much organized volunteers and nonprofit institutions could accomplish.
Hayward’s term on Volunteer Florida placed those local lessons within a statewide system designed to prepare communities, strengthen civic organizations, and turn the willingness to help into effective service.