My New Gig

When I retired in 2010, one of the very first things that I did was sign on as a volunteer at the Heinz History Center, and for much of the past five plus years I have served as docent at the History Center, mainly conducting tours for school children ranging in age from third grade to high school senior.  I enjoyed it immensely, but last winter I kind of reached my limit ("burn out" is way too strong a term) as a docent, so I took a step back for a few months.  Not wanting to disassociate myself entirely with this terrific Pittsburgh institution, I asked HHC Human Resources Director Renee Falbo and Volunteer Coordinator Ellen DeNinno what other volunteer opportunities might be available.

It was Ellen who came up with the idea of using me as a History Center Ambassador to speak to some groups in the area who might not have the time windows or the financial resources to request a visit from a full-fledged History Center Ambassador.  They asked me if I was willing to give that a try, and today was my first gig.  I spoke to the weekly luncheon meeting of the Greentree Rotary Club this afternoon, and I really had a blast.

Let's face it, I love being retired, but there was something nice today about putting on a sport coat and speaking to a group of twenty-five people about a topic that was interesting, fun, and something that I care about.  I was promoting the Heinz History Center, and face it, that's a lot more fun than talking to a group of employees about how their health insurance plan is going to change and cost them more money.

I am grateful to both Renee and Ellen for coming up with this idea, and I hope that I can do a lot more of these engagements in the months ahead.  If you are a part of a group that needs speakers for lunch or dinner meetings, let me know, and I can put you in touch with the right people at the History Center to get it lined up.