Shortridge Transportation Staff Recognized By NH Governor

Shortridge Academy driver, Donald E. Chesnel of Rochester was awarded the 2011 Outstanding Volunteer Manager of the Year Award, presented to him by Gov. John Lynch as part of the Governor's Conference on Volunteerism in Concord on May 17. "I've always had a strong commitment to volunteerism, and to things that happen without somebody getting paid to do it," Chesnel said.

Chesnel and his wife, Joan, who is serving her second term as president of the Rochester Emblem Club, have a long history of supporting their community through volunteer work. "I was totally excited," said Chesnel's wife, Joan Chesnel. "Everything he does he puts his whole heart and soul into." Joan Chesnel admitted that she had known since March that her husband would be receiving the award, but kept it a secret from him and their children until the day of the conference. "When he saw me walk in, he knew something was up," Joan Chesnel said.

Chesnel was nominated for the award by Judith Lonergan, a founding member of the New Hampshire Association of Volunteer Administrators who has been friends with Chesnel for 14 years. "He has accomplished a lot by being a leader of other volunteers," Lonergan said. Chesnel has worked as a longtime member of the New Hampshire State Elks Association's Rochester lodge, and currently serves as esquire and is a member of several of the organization's committees. He also serves on the board of directors and as treasurer of NHAVA, as well as on the board of directors for Volunteer N.H.

Chesnel, a former manager of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard who now works as a driver for organizations such as Meals On Wheels, joined the Elks for its social functions in 1975. Years later, he began to take an active role in the volunteer work that the organization took part in to help the community. Chesnel said that he is proud of his state for its passion for volunteer work, and considers New Hampshire to be one of the top states in the country when it comes to placing a priority on volunteerism. "I think this state really has a lot of people that'll help each other out when there's something that needs to be done," Chesnel said.

As a driver for Shortridge Academy, Don Chesnel contributes to delivering a safe, professional and busy transportation service for Shortridge students. With an average of 63 trips per month, Shortridge drivers transport students to medical appointments, airport runs and other trips to sports, AA/NA meetings, college classes, volunteer activities, hiking, and SAT/ACT tests.

Shortridge Academy is a year round, college preparatory, therapeutic boarding school for young men and women ages 14-17 years old at enrollment, grades 9-12. Shortridge Academy is one of only a few therapeutic boarding schools in the Northeast accredited by the rigorous New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the only school of its kind that explicitly utilizes the evidenced-based Positive Youth Development (PYD) curriculum to guide the individualized therapeutic programming for students.