Norman Volk Receives Inaugural Jonas Center Award for Advancing Nursing Leadership
Chair of the John A. Hartford Foundation noted as longtime champion of nursing
NEW YORK, December 2, 2011 – The Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence has presented its first Jonas Center Award for Advancing Nursing Leadership to Norman Volk, Chairman of the John A. Hartford Foundation, the leading philanthropy focused on improving health care for older Americans. The award honors those who embody the Jonas Center’s mission to advance nursing scholarship, leadership and innovative practice.
Mr. Volk was selected for this first award for his dedication to the nursing field, notably for his advancement of nursing education. Under his tenure, the Hartford Foundation has funded a range of innovative nursing-related initiatives, many of which concentrated on education.
Since 2010, the Jonas Center has partnered with the Hartford Foundation to support nursing doctoral students specializing in geriatrics. This collaboration is part of the Jonas Center’s larger Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program, an ongoing effort to address the nation’s continuing shortage of nursing faculty that will support more than 250 scholars across all 50 states by 2013.
“Norman personifies the spirit of this award and was a clear choice for the first recipient thanks to his decades of unwavering service to the nursing profession – the men and women who provide the majority of our health care,” said Donald Jonas, co-founder. “We are proud to work with Norman and to have the chance to honor his continuing leadership.”
Mr. Volk received the award at a ceremony held at Hunter College’s historic Roosevelt House. In addition to Barbara and Donald Jonas, speakers included Jennifer Raab, President, Hunter College; Susan Hassmiller, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., Senior Advisor for Nursing, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and Corinne Rieder, Executive Director of the John A. Hartford Foundation, among others.
“I’m deeply touched by this honor, especially because doing all we can to help nurses excel in their chosen practice areas is simply the right thing to do,” Volk said. “All of us will benefit from care provided by highly educated, trained and skilled nurses. I couldn’t be happier to share this passion with my colleagues at the Jonas Center and John A. Hartford Foundation.”
Mr. Volk has served as president of Chamberlain & Steward Associates, Ltd., an asset advisory firm, since 1985. Previously, he served as senior vice president of Bessemer Trust Company. He is a member of the Advisory Council of Stanford University’s Center on Longevity; the National Council of the College of Nursing; and New York University’s College of Nursing Advisory Board. Mr. Volk is an honorary member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso University, a master’s from Marquette University and an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from Valparaiso. Mr. Volk continues to serve as a trustee of Valparaiso University.
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About the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence
Founded in February of 2006, the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence (www.jonascenter.org) is supported by the Barbara and Donald Jonas Family Fund. Its mission is to advance professional nursing through grant making and programs that improve nurse recruitment and retention, increase ethnic and racial diversity among the nursing workforce, advance innovative practice models and improve practice settings in New York City.