Gardens Staff Member Honored by State Association
Hemric cited for support of volunteers
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Durham, NC -- Chuck Hemric, director of volunteer services at Durham’s Sarah P. Duke Gardens, received the 2009 Marsha Riddle Lifetime Achievement Award from the N.C. Association of Volunteer Administration at its annual conference in Boone this month.
Hemric, a Ronda native, has worked at Duke Gardens since 1985. He manages a “family” of about 300 volunteers. In 2008, volunteers did the work of what would be almost seven full-time employees. The volunteers greet visitors, guide tours, teach classes and help horticulturists in the gardens, among other activities.
Marsha Riddle was the association’s first Lifetime Achievement Award winner. A Morganton resident, she has spent her life promoting and supporting volunteerism.
Hemric said he is especially honored because he has long idolized Riddle, who is well known nationally and whom he calls a “volunteer goddess.” He first studied under her at a conference in 1995.
“I will never forget just being so enthralled with her wealth of knowledge,” he said. “Sitting there as a young person, hearing everything that had to go into a volunteer program to make it function, I didn’t think it was achievable, all these things she was spelling out. But, true to her word, she said everything would fall into place if you set these parameters up, and I did, and they have.”
In a field dominated by women, Hemric is the first male to receive the award, which is now in its 10th year.
Duke Gardens is a 55-acre public garden at Duke University. For information about volunteering there, call the Gardens at 668-1705.
