Energize Staff and Associates

Kristin Floyd      

Executive Director

Kristin has worked with Energize for over 25 years providing strategic and development support for our online presence.  In 2018, she started overseeing all our services and programs as the executive director. Kristin first started with Energize as our publications director but was immediately attracted to the potential of the Web when Energize was tapped to develop a special volunteer section of AOL in 1994. She became the force behind the opening of our Web site in 1997 and has continued to spur us to explore new technology and ways of delivering our expertise online to our colleagues around the world. 

Cara Thenot

Publications and Marketing Director

Cara has been with Energize since 2002, applying her background in electronic document production and retail book selling to the books we publish and guiding the development of our Online Bookstore. She arranges the distribution of Energize books and negotiates with other publishers so that we can offer an ever-increasing list of excellent resources to our customers. She leads our social media strategy and posts news in the volunteer community to all of our communication channels. Cara also writes our Book Buzz and the Energize Monthly Update. She is a central participant in all company strategic planning.  

Cara practices what Energize preaches by being an active volunteer, particularly in support of her children's school and related community activities.

Sheri Wilensky Burke

Everyone Ready^® Co-Director

Sheri Wilensky Burke has more than 30 years of experience working with national non-profit organizations and understands that volunteers are the soul of any non-profit.  She empowers organizations to develop volunteer-based projects and volunteer leaders, and as president of Sheri Wilensky Burke Consulting LLC offers consultation and training in volunteer management, board development and special events. Prior to developing her own business, Sheri was the Director of Volunteer Management & Board Development for the American Lung Association National Headquarters for 12 years. She has also worked for Volunteers of America’s Greater New York Branch, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s New York City Chapter. Sheri previously served as President of the New York Association for Volunteer Administration (NYAVA) and also served on the national board of the Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA).

Betsy McFarland

Everyone Ready^® Co-Director

Betsy McFarland is a principal at Adisa, a consulting firm dedicated to helping purpose-driven individuals and organizations unleash talent and achieve impact. Betsy has more than 20 years of experience in maximizing volunteer engagement in the animal protection, much of it with The Humane Society of the United States. She was the first to launch comprehensive volunteer engagement training for the animal sheltering field, authoring the book, Volunteer Management for Animal Care Organizations, and publishing research on staff-volunteer relationships. She worked with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to develop a research-supported Volunteer Program Assessment model that serves nonprofit volunteer programs across the U.S. and Canada. 

Colleen Haley 

Online Bookstore and Customer Service Manager

Editorial Team for e-Volunteerism

The journal's ten editors come from four countries and represent a range of perspectives in the volunteer field.

Faculty for Everyone Ready^®

More than a dozen authors, trainers, and researchers – each internationally recognized as a thought leader in the field – comprise the faculty of Energize's online volunteer management training program.