Officers & Board
President
Chris Elsner
Chris met his wife Lexie - a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer - while serving in Ukraine and proposed to her at the Peace Corps fair on campus in 2014. They have two children: seven year old Elena and four year old Jack.
Chris is a former board member of Tucson Young Professionals and served as Vice President of the board from 2018-2020. He was a SARSEF board member from 2019-2020. Chris has been a member of the Desert Doves off and on since 2011. He enjoys meditation, yoga, listening to podcasts, computer games,Dungeons and Dragons, and reading.
Vice President
Vacant
Treasurer
Eric Dresser
Those experiences led him to becoming an Education Volunteer in Guinea, West Africa from 2017-2019. He taught math to 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade classes at a middle school in the Dalaba prefecture of the mountainous central region of Mamou. Aside from his primary project, secondary projects largely included objectives aimed at malaria, girls’ empowerment, and literacy improvement.
Eric moved to Tucson in 2022 with his partner Rachael and their two dogs (Bailo and Annie Oakley). He has been working as a structural engineer at PK Associates, is an avid NBA Thunder and Liverpool F.C. fan, and has fallen hard and fast in love with southern Arizona.
Secretary
Vacant
Social Committee Chair
Calder Bethke
Communications Committee Chair
Brennen O'Donnel
Brennen was a Coverdell Fellow at the U of A in 2018-2019 and received his Master’s in Public Administration. Brennen loves living in Tucson and enjoys spending time at Saguaro National Park East near to where he lives on the east side. In his free time, he loves going to trivia nights, movies, and sporting events. He also like to read and is active in the Tucson Book Spot Club.
Service Committee Chair
Rachael Hinkel
She served in the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea from 2016-2019, working as a Maternal and Child Health Educator focusing on malaria prevention, sexual health, WASH, and business development projects in collaboration with local NGO, Ossez Innover.
After the Peace Corps, while living in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic, she earned a Certificate of Graduate Study in Public Health and will be pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology while at the University of Arizona. Her research interests include the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections, specifically how they impact the health of women and children. In her spare time she loves playing with her two rambunctious dogs, tending to her house plants, hiking, reading, and traveling.
Position Descriptions
President
President
Hours of responsibility per month: 5-15
Eligibility: RPCV; paid membership to the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona and the National Peace Corps Association
Term: One-year term
Responsibilities:
Organize and preside at officer meetings and general meetings;
oversee all activities of the organization including planning and publicity of Desert Doves meetings, service projects and event; prepare general meeting and officer meeting agendas;
support other Desert Doves officers and committee members as needed;
liaise between Desert Doves, University of Arizona Peace Corps Fellows, and the Tucson community;
PCPP selection committee - review and present projects for vote by the general membership;
Check and respond to messages within the group email account;
Serve as the organization’s official representation with the National Peace Corps Association;
Prepare annual activity report for the National Peace Corps Association;
Signer on account at the Vantage West Credit Union.
Recommended skills / experience:
Prior nonprofit board experience, ideally in an executive role;
Prior leadership experience;
Familiarity with event and volunteer management;
Familiarity or experience with nonprofit management;
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Vice President
Vice President
Hours of responsibility per month: 2-15
Eligibility: RPCV; paid membership to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona
Term: One-year term
Responsibilities:
Attend and participate in all officer and general meetings;
Plan logistics for and coordinate volunteers for the 4th Avenue Merchants Association Street Fair fundraise;
Coordinate other fund raising activities to benefit PCPP and other charitable giving;
PCPP selection committee - review and present projects for vote by the general membership;
Co-coordinate Desert Doves events, t-shirts, etc.;
Most of the year, only requires 1-2 hours per month but during winter and spring street fair, may require 2-4 hours per week; Assume duties of president, when necessary.
Recommended skills / experience:
Prior nonprofit board experience;
Prior leadership experience;
Familiarity with event and volunteer management.
Treasurer
Treasurer
Hours of responsibility per month: 2-10
Eligibility: RPCV; paid membership to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona and the National Peace Corps Association
Term: One-year term
Responsibilities:
Attend all officer and general meetings;
Maintain and report on Desert Doves finances;
Plan logistics for and coordinate RPCV International calendar sales;
Prepare annual income and expenditures report for the National Peace Corps Association;
Signer on account at the Vantage West Credit Union;
Determine Peace Corps Partnership Project funding availability;
Make PCPP donations on the Peace Corps website;
Responsible for completing the form 990 (via the e-postcard) by 15 May of each year;
Organize funding techniques that will aid in the long-term sustainability of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona;
Responsible for the rented Post Office box.
Recommended skills / experience:
Familiarity with excel and/or google sheets;
Familiarity with accounting and financial reporting;
Experience preparing financial statements (assets & liabilities, balance sheet, profit & loss, etc.).
Secretary
Hours of responsibility per month: 2-10
Eligibility: RPCV; paid membership to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona
Term: One-year term
Responsibilities:
Attend all officer and general meetings;
Record general meeting and officer meeting minutes;
Distribute minutes to members via email and the Desert Doves website;
Maintain group email account and respond to pertinent emails in coordination with president;
Maintain and report on Desert Doves membership;
Responsible for a second key to the Post Office Box rental;
Checks mail if the Treasurer is out of town for an extended period of time;
Monitor Doves annual operating calendar including deadlines for annual memberships, 501c3, etc.;
Coordinate annual NPCA membership renewal and activity report; Coordinate Desert Doves annual report.
Recommended skills / experience:
Familiarity with google drive and google docs;
Excellent written communication skills;
Experience with graphic design;
Excellent organizational skills.
Social Committee Chair
Hours of responsibility per month: 3-5
Eligibility: RPCV; paid membership to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona
Term: One year
Responsibilities:
Attend all officer and general meetings;
Plan logistics for and coordinate bi-monthly Ethnic Dinners / social events;
Prepare social event announcements for Desert Doves communications such as the newsletter, the website, and the Facebook page.
Recommended skills / experience:
Familiarity with event planning and management;
Familiarity with local venues.
Communications Committee Chair
Hours of responsibility per month: 3-5
Eligibility: RPCV; paid membership to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona
Term: One year
Responsibilities:
Attend all officer and general meetings;
Publishes bi-monthly newsletter with news and features;
Assure that accurate and timely information is gathered regularly and put onto the newsletter's pages;
Monitor and post announcements to Desert Doves Facebook page.
Recommended skills / experience:
Familiarity with email communications tools;
Excellent written communication skills;
Experience with graphic design;
Prior publishing experience;
Familiarity with website content creation and maintenance.
Service Committee Chair
Hours of responsibility per month: 2-10
Eligibility: RPCV; paid membership to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona
Term: One year
Responsibilities:
Attend all officer and general meetings;
Organize and implement community service and educational events;
Prepare community service event announcements for Desert Doves communications;
Establish and sustain community connections and resources for Doves service projects;
Assist Peace Corps Partnership Programs at UArizona in the planning and execution of Peace Corps Week;
Assist the Vice-President in preparation for the 4th Avenue Merchants’ Association Street Fair;
Assist the social committee as needed.
Recommended skills / experience:
Familiarity with local nonprofit organizations;
Familiarity with volunteer management.
Officers and Committee Chairs can be reached through the email address rpcvtucson@gmail.com