We are pleased to share that President Obama has announced his intention to nominate Patrick Corvington for the position of Chief Executive Officer at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Patrick is a recognized leader and expert on nonprofit sector leadership and capacity issues, new and emerging philanthropy, evaluation and performance measurement, and volunteerism. He possesses the skills, experience, and networks to capitalize on the opportunity before us—to more strategically direct resources, both human and financial, toward proven solutions and promising new ideas to solve our most pressing social problems.

The challenges before us are significant. But so too are the opportunities. National service will need to be more inclusive and connect with new populations to reach 250,000 members by 2017. The nonprofit sector has the fastest rate of job growth, but we need to accelerate the pipeline of talent to effectively scale proven solutions. The current economic crisis demands greater efficiency in public spending—we can no longer afford to invest in what does not work. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act created a new and bold program that the Corporation for National and Community Service now has the responsibility to implement. The Social Innovation Fund is one of the most promising new initiatives of the Obama Administration and has the potential to foster community solutions and transform the nonprofit sector overall. Patrick’s leadership and management skills will be essential as the Corporation for National and Community Service implements this agenda.

We applaud this announcement and urge the Senate to quickly confirm Patrick Corvington so that the work of advancing service, innovation, and solutions can begin in earnest.