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Yvonne McKenna, CEO
Yvonne McKenna became CEO of Volunteer Ireland in June 2011 when the organisation was formed from the merger of the two leading national volunteering organisations in Ireland, Volunteer Centres Ireland and Volunteering Ireland. Previously CEO of Volunteer Centres Ireland, Yvonne has dedicated more than six years of her professional life to developing volunteering infrastructure and creating a more enabling environment for volunteering in Ireland. Yvonne holds a PhD from the University of Warwick, an MA from the University of London and a BA from University College Dublin. Yvonne’s commitment to volunteering is both professional and personal: she has volunteered in various capacities throughout her life and currently volunteers as a befriender with CareLocal, an organisation that works to alleviate loneliness in Dublin’s older community, and sits on the board of both Sonas Housing Association and the Wheel.
Eva Early, Information and Communications Officer
Eva Early is Information and Communications Officer with Volunteer Ireland and co-ordinator of the National Day of Volunteering. Eva has worked predominantly in community development since she took part in the European Voluntary Service in Paris, in 2003. After two years in France, Eva returned to Ireland to complete her postgraduate studies in overseas development. She subsequently worked for a community consultancy firm that specialised in participative research before taking up her position in Volunteer Ireland. Eva is currently on maternity leave.
Brona Cousins, Office Manager
In her current position at Volunteering Ireland, Brona oversees the day-to-day operations of the headoffice, including finances and systems administration. She joined the team as Administrator in the head office and is originally trained as a barrister.
Danny Watkins Information Systems and IT Support Officer
Danny has been the IT Officer since June 2011. He is responsible for Salesforce administration, web maintenance and the day to day upkeep of hardware and software at VI. Prior to that Danny worked for 10 years in the telecoms industry before setting up his own business as a freelance web designer and PC repair technician working with a number of non-profits in Ireland.
Jennie Blake, Development Manager
Jennie Blake joined Volunteering Ireland as Development Manager in October 2010. She is responsible for sourcing and managing funding opportunities for the organisation’s projects. Having graduated from UCD with a Degree in Social Science and a Masters in Business Studies, Jennie joined the non-profit sector, and has a keen interest in the relationship development between the corporate and not-for-profit sector. Jennie has travelled extensively and has volunteered in South America, Asia and Europe.
Terri O’Brien, Quality Standards and Training Officer
Terri started working with Volunteer Ireland as the Information and Communications Officer in October 2006. After returning from maternity leave she took up the role of Quality Standards and Training Officer which involves overseeing VI’s national Volunteer Management Training Programme and leading on the Quality Standards peer review of Volunteer Centres.. Prior to working for VI Terri lived in the USA where she worked as a Volunteer Programme Manager for 9 years. In addition, Terri has volunteered for many years at a variety of non-profit organisations in the USA and Ireland.
Kasia Zukowska, Outreach Placement Officer, Dublin City North Volunteer Centre
Kasia joined Volunteering Ireland in March 2010 as an intern. Originally from Poland, Kasia graduated from University College Dublin, having studied History and Italian . She is actively involved in campaigning with different organisations, such as Irish section of Amnesty International, Trócaire and Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Last year she volunteered in the Middle East where she was working with children in a refugee camp. She believes that volunteering is a valuable experience, especially its awareness-raising aspect.
Lisa Cavern, Outreach Intern - Dublin City North Volunteer Centre
Lisa joined the DCNVC team in April 2011 as a volunteer, and has been a full-time intern since July. Originally from Texas, Lisa has lived in Ireland since 2009. Holding degrees in Education and Environmental Studies, Lisa has worked in the education and not-for-profit sector in a variety of roles. Lisa believes that every person has the capacity to make a valuable contribution to their local community, and that volunteering is a powerful vehicle for community impact.
Marzia Baldassari, Coordinator Dublin City North Volunteer Centre
Marzia joined the Volunteering Ireland Team in April 2009. Originally from Rome, Marzia has travelled extensively in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East and has developed a strong interest in human rights and social development. She is fluent in Italian, English, Spanish and French as well as having a good working knowledge of Danish and Polish. Prior to this post Marzia worked as a UN Volunteers Coordinator in Nicaragua. Marzia has wide-ranging experience in community and voluntary groups, corporate sector and international organisations. She holds degrees in Political Science and International Relations (Marzia is currently on maternity leave).
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