Katie Commender

Welcome! I'm Katie Commender, Sustainable Forestry OSM AmeriCorps VISTA for Appalachian Sustainable Development.

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Prior to joining Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) and the OSM/VISTA Team, Katie Commender attended Arcadia University in Glenside, PA and obtained her B.A. in International Studies with a concentration in Globalization, Development, and Human Rights and a minor in Political Science. After writing her senior thesis on the various causes of natural resource exploitation in the mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Katie decided to intern for the Office of Surface Mining in D.C. During that time, Katie worked as a policy and research intern for the OSM/VISTA Teams. After reading about the life changing work OSM/VISTAs were doing in the field, she decided to become one herself.   Working within ASD's Sustainable Forestry Program as an OSM/VISTA, Katie promotes Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), such as goldenseal, elderberry, pawpaws, shiitake mushrooms, and ginseng, as a way to turn forested land into a long-term source of income without having to harvest timber. By conducting workshops that teach community members how to plant, harvest, and market these products, she helps revitalize the economic status of Appalachian communities throughout Southwest VA and Northeast TN.   Additionally, Katie is building the capacity of ASD by creating and managing the organization's first volunteer program. These volunteers can be called upon if help is needed with ASD fundraising events, NTFP workshops, the establishment of outdoor classrooms, and more.  

Research and Policy Intern at U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining

September 2011 - December 2011

I conducted research and wrote reports that helped support the work of AmeriCorps OSM/VISTAs throughout reclaimed coal mining areas in Appalachia, Colorado and New Mexico. This includes conducting surveys, posting job descriptions and recruiting future OSM/VISTAs, and writing reports that help change policy and generate both funds and new positions that enable the continuation of OSM/VISTA's reclamation work.

Stop the Drill Campaign Volunteer at Oceana

September 2011 - December 2011

Campaigned to raise awareness and gain support for offshore windmill farms as opposed to offshore oil drilling. Wrote letters to the editor of top newspapers, volunteered at photo petition events to collect petition signatures, recruited more volunteers, and helped to create a facebook group page.

Head Lifeguard and Charity Swim Fundraiser at Antietam Valley Recreation and Community Center

May 2006 - September 2011

Served as a head lifeguard overseeing the duties of other lifeguards. I also helped start and enable the continuation of 5 annual charity moonlight swims at the pool center. Each charity swim raised over $1,000 for a variety of organizations, such as the Toys for Tots Foundation, Autism Society, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and more. I was in charge of advertising the event to educate and mobilize the community about the cause at hand, contacting local businesses and asking them to donate gift cards or food for the event, and carrying out the event itself.

Data Entry and Clerk at Price Chiropractics and Associates

January 2005 - May 2005

Entered patient billing information into an online database, sent out mass mailings, filed patient charts, sent faxes, scanned documents, and answered patient phone calls.

Sustainable Forestry OSM/VISTA and Volunteer Coordinator at Appalachian Sustainable Development

February 2012

I am doing a year of national service as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Office of Surface Mining's (OSM) Appalachian Coal Country Team (ACCT). The VISTA sponsor organization that I am working for is Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD). I am working within their Sustainable Forestry program, promoting Non-Timber Forest Products, such as elderberry and goldenseal, as a way to make forested land profitable without having to harvest timber. Through hands-on workshops and conference presentations, I am teaching forested landowners in SW VA and NE TN how to plant, harvest, and market these products to make their land more economically viable. In this sense, I am helping to reduce poverty, while creating environmental stewards at the same time. I am also creating ASD's first Volunteer Program. Using a Rural Volunteerism Toolkit (http://ruralvolunteer.org/) created by the Appalachian Coal Country Team, I am recruiting, managing, and maintaining volunteers to help sustain ASD's programs once my service year ends. I am also training other organizations in the area how to use this Toolkit, in order to increase their capacity as well as ASD's. For more information about my work with the ACCT, visit the following website: http://coalcountryteam.org/showProjectRecord.cfm?ProjectID=37

Arcadia University

2008 – 2011

Bachelor's Degree in International Studies, Minor in Political Science

Concentration: Globalization, Development & Human Rights

Activities: Environmental Club, 2008-2011 Student Government Organization, 2008-2011 Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society, 2010-Present Dean’s Distinguished Honors, 2008-2011 Campus Achievement Award, 2008-2011

Alliance Francais

2010 – 2010

Concentration: French

American Graduate School of International Realtions and Diplomacy

2010 – 2010

Concentration: International Relations and Diplomacy

City University London

2009 – 2009

Recruiting, volunteer management and coordination, fundraising, event planning, event photography, advertising, marketing, public relations, partnership building, social media networking, administrative assistance, database entry, program coordination and management, environmental education, international travel, diplomacy.