A seasoned project manager shares his workforce skills with Charlotte nonprofits.
Jon Shannon, Sr. Consultant Project Controls at WSP USA, joined the Apparo volunteer family in 2020 as a Change Agent in the G.A.I.N. program, supporting Youth Development Initiatives with their technology assessment and plan. He then continued to work with them in their next phase, their SharePoint migration and has recently committed to supporting them during their second year in the program.
Trouble with embedded Volunteer Spotlight? View it here.
Before he found Apparo, Jon considered starting a nonprofit of his own. When we realized how many nonprofits were already established in Charlotte and that he could use his workplace project management skills to partner with Apparo to support them, he changed course and became a volunteer Change Agent.
He explains, “I didn’t realize that skills-based volunteering exists. It feels like a more valuable use of my time than the other types of volunteering I’ve done before. This experience has exceeded my expectations. It’s fulfilling to work with a nonprofit with such significant impact on lives and to do even a small part to help them improve the way they work. Because Darryl is such a strong communicator, I’m learning a lot too and improving my own communication skills.”
Darryl Bego, President/CEO of YDI, shares his words of appreciation, “Jon is a consummate professional, and he represents the best of volunteerism! He is very respectful, responsible, and reliable — I know I can count on Jon doing what he says he’s going to do when he says he is going to do it! Jon’s leadership in the coordination and carrying out of a strategic technical plan to help strengthen YDI’s internal operations has put us on track to becoming far more effective and efficient than we’ve ever been.”
Sarah Gregory, Apparo’s Volunteer Manager, adds “Jon has been such a gift to Apparo. He played an integral role in YDI’s first project’s success. Since then, Jon has been the Change Agent for YDI’s SharePoint Migration CIP and signed up to be a Change Manager, or mentor, for YDI during their second year of the G.A.I.N. program. As the Change Agent Program manager, I have the pleasure of meeting with Jon weekly to discuss his current projects, and I truly look forward to our time together. He has become a dependable volunteer and a friend of mine. We are so thankful for all that he does for the nonprofit community in Charlotte and look forward to continuing to work with him in the future!”
