VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Jerry C. Pinney
Jerry Pinney came to ESC in 2003 after a distinguished career in helping many different kinds of businesses and organizations achieve their best. Like many other 
ESC volunteers, Jerry brought with him a wide range of skills and abilities that he has since come to utilize in even more ways than he envisioned when he signed on with us.
From his more than three decades of leadership in the food industry and several years running his consulting firm for small to mid-sized companies and nonprofits, Jerry had developed particularly significant knowledge and experience in coaching, merchandising and marketing. But when his family moved from the suburbs to the city, Jerry felt a need to take a more active role in his new Chicago community as a volunteer – and joined ESC.
As Jerry says, “It has been a perfect match…ESC provides me an opportunity to stay connected to people, events and causes and gives me an opportunity to use my gifts for the greater good.”
Jerry has found many opportunities to share and grow his expertise since joining ESC. As a member of the volunteer-led faculty that leads ESC’s award-winning professional development program, Jerry has found a role that allows him to increase his knowledge about the nonprofit sector while translating the skills his fellow volunteers have developed throughout their careers for their work with ESC clients.
Besides his service on the faculty and his invaluable work with many client organizations, one of Jerry’s most important contributions to ESC has been his leadership in our Coaching program. Jerry has helped develop a variety of new opportunities and collaborative possibilities for all our coaches and their clients. His advocacy and knowledge of coaching has been demonstrated in many presentations and other venues, such as his April 2009 interview on the internet talk radio VoiceAmerica Business Channel for the weekly program The Coach’s Forum. Jerry spoke with host Dr. Milton Lopes on “The Need for Coaches in the Nonprofit Sector”. To listen to the show, visit the audio archive.
When asked why he thinks ESC’s work is important, Jerry responds, “The community can only be as good as its nonprofits and public agencies are. ESC’s mission to strengthen nonprofits and public agencies is a statement of commitment to the community and a strong desire to become part of the solution.”
Approaching each project or coaching assignment he works on for an ESC client as an opportunity to learn, Jerry said that the benefit to him of this work is learning about his community and building relationships. “I come away from each experience learning as much as I have taught.” Jerry adds, “I get to learn about a new niche in the community and how the organization is striving to improve that niche. It is indeed very fun and very rewarding.”