Welcome to OK Radio, podcasts designed to provide real world insight and context from leaders and experts in the nonprofit community.

Opportunity Knock’s mission is to bring nonprofit professionals and organizations together. Through OK Radio’s interviews we not only provide valuable information on everything from career matters to sector trends, but also learn some fun facts about the thought leaders that are featured.


Download our dynamic OK Radio podcasts now and be sure to check out our podcast archive for even more exciting interviews. We welcome your thoughts and questions on OK Radio and invite you to visit our comments area found at the bottom of every page. Enjoy the show!

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OK Radio #30
Michael Holthouse, Founder, Prepared 4 Life and Business Leader for Job Creators Alliance

Host, Joe Folan interviews Michael Holthouse, founder of Prepared 4 Life; a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching youth about life skills, character building, and entrepreneurship—so they can make a positive contribution to society. Listen in as they discuss the state of the job market and economy, as well as the role of nonprofits in job creation.

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OK Radio #29
Arcelia Hurtado, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates (ERA) and founder of the Women Defenders Fellowship

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Arcelia Hurtado, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates (ERA) and founder of the Women Defenders Fellowship. Arcelia shares about the work of ERA and what it is like to work for an advocacy group.

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OK Radio #28
Allison Jones, New York City Chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Communications Committee Member

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Allison Jones External Affairs Manager at Explore Schools and a member of the communications committee at New York City Chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network. Allison shares about how mentoring can help in nonprofit career development.

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OK Radio #27
Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Managing Partner, Code Green Agency

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Darian Rodriguez Heyman Editor of the newly released Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals published by Jossey Bass.

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OK Radio #26
Christopher Scott, nonprofit leader and author of A Day of Hope: Leading Volunteers to Make a Difference in Your Community

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Christopher Scott, nonprofit leader and author of A Day of Hope: Leading Volunteers to Make a Difference in Your Community. Christopher shares about the inspiration for his book and how volunteering can not only positively impact community but also lead to a nonprofit career.

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OK Radio #25
Dalya Massachi, author of Writing to Make a Difference

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Dalya Massachi, author of Writing to Make a Difference and columnist featured on Opportunity Knock’s The Writer’s Block . Dayla will be sharing about her book and how using your writing can make you more successful.

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OK Radio #24
Chelle Shell, Client Development Manager with Opportunity Knocks

Michelle “Chelle” Shell, Opportunity Knocks’ Client Development Manager was featured on the Work With Marty Nemko Program; KALW-FM, an NPR station in San Francisco. Chelle was interviewed by Dr. Marty Nemko, who is among the nation’s most sought-after experts on career issues, on the present and future of nonprofit careers.

What are the hot career paths in the nonprofit sector? How can job seekers maximize their chances of getting a good nonprofit job? What advice did Chelle provide to unemployed people?

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OK Radio #23
Lisa Gilbert, Democracy Advocate for U.S.PIRG

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Lisa Gilbert, Democracy Advocate for U.S.PIRG. Lisa shares about Shareholder Protection Act and how new legislation would protect shareholders rights

What is the Shareholder Protection Act? Why should investors have a voice in how the corporations, in which they hold shares, spend money their in politics? What can we expect to see and hope to see in the 2010 elections?

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OK Radio #22
Paul Hamalian, Senior Director-CEO Support for Habitat for Humanity International

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Paul Hamalian, Senior Director – CEO Support for Habitat for Humanity International. Paul shares how Habitat for Humanity team drives the success in the organization delivering its global mission.

What’s it like to work for Habitat for Humanity? How does the organization develop its leadership and staff? Can volunteering actually lead to becoming part of the Habitat workforce?

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OK Radio #21
Bob Lavigna, Vice President of Research Partnership for Public Service

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Bob Lavigna, Vice President of Research for the Partnership for Public Service. Bob shares how the Partnership is working to revitalize public service, improve government performance and about government job opportunities.

What are the 273,000 employment opportunities that will be available in the federal government? How do you best pursue a Federal Job? What are the top reasons to work for the government?

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OK Radio #20
Margie Alt, Executive Director of Environment America

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Margie Alt, Executive Director of Environment America. Margie shares how Environment America engages the public and its team to accomplish its mission.

What are the ways that Environment America is engaging and mobilizing the public? How is Environment America going to staff up and hire more people to accomplish its mission? What are the benefits of their fellowship program and environmental advocacy positions?

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OK Radio #19
Diahann Billings-Burford, Chief Service Officer, City of New York

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Diahann Billings-Burford, the nation’s first-ever municipal Chief Service Officer charged with leading NYC Service. Diahann share about the City’s initiative to promote a new era of service and volunteerism in New York City.

What kind of people is NYC Service looking for to make this program a success? How is NYC Service is looking to achieve its goals? What are some great stories of volunteer success?

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OK Radio #18
Bob Harrington, Director of Strategic Restructuring with La Piana Associates

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Bob Harrington, Director of Strategic Restructuring with La Piana Associates a management consulting firm helping nonprofits. Bob shares the fundamentals of nonprofit mergers and acquisitions and the resulting impact upon organizations.

What are the first things that nonprofits are concerned with when exploring merging with another organization? What is the difference of an acquisition vs. a true merger and why would nonprofits want to do either in the first place? What is the role of human resources during a restructuring?

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OK Radio #17
Kathy Cloninger with Girl Scouts of the USA

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Kathy Cloninger Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA. Kathy shares the Girls Scouts key practices on professional development and diversity of its employees and leaders as well as nonprofit leadership trends she’s seen over the past 20 years.

Do the Scout program leadership experiences translate over to how Girls Scouts USA develops its own employees? Does Girl Scouts see returns such as employee loyalty and retention with its dedication to professional development? What advice and encouragement does Kathy share with the nonprofit community during these challenging economic times?

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OK Radio #16
Suzanne Boas with CCCS Atlanta

OK Radio host Joe Folan speaks with Suzanne Boas, President of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Metro Atlanta – a non-profit community service agency. Suzanne shares her expertise as a leading authority on the credit counseling industry.

How can CCCS help people who have lost their jobs? What can people do to get their finances together in case they find themselves unemployed? What advice does Suzanne provide for unemployed people that cannot pay their bills?

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OK Radio #15
Chris Myers Asch with the U.S. Public Service Academy

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Chris Myers Asch with the U.S. Public Service Academy. Chris shares more about how this undergraduate institution will develop our next generation of public sector leaders.

How will the U.S. Public Service Academy address the urgent need for our next generation of public service and nonprofit leaders? How did Sen. Hillary Clinton put the U.S. Public Service Academy on the map? What qualities make an ideal public servant?

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OK Radio #14
Shelly Cryer, Author of The Nonprofit Career Guide and founder of the Initiative for Nonprofit Sector Careers

Shelly Cryer, Author of The Nonprofit Career Guide and founder of the Initiative for Nonprofit Sector Careers, a research and advocacy project now a program of American Humanics. Shelly shares additional insight on the mission of this new book and how it can help people assess and explore nonprofit careers.

What is the reality of compensation and livable salaries in the nonprofit sector? For people newly exploring a nonprofit career, what should be the three things on their short list to do first? What are the common misconceptions about nonprofit jobs?

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OK Radio #13
Karen Baker, Secretary of Service and Volunteering for the state of California

Karen Baker, newly appointed Secretary of Service and Volunteering for the state of California, speaks to OK Radio host Joe Folan about California Governor Schwarzenegger’s first-in-the-nation action to encourage volunteerism in California and to improve coordination of volunteer efforts between the state’s departments and agencies. The Governor signed an executive order to establish the new position of secretary of service and volunteering and appointed Karen Baker who will be a member of the Governor’s Cabinet.

What is the importance of this role and how will affect nonprofits? How has CA organized resources to best mobilize volunteers? What’s on the horizon for the nation and other states to model this effort?

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OK Radio #12
Janis R. Hirohama, President of The League of Women Voters of California

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Janis R. Hirohama, President of The League of Women Voters of California. Janis shares her expertise on voting rights and what it’s like to have a career in educating, empowering and encouraging citizens to participate in government.

What opportunities and benefits exist for people looking to join the league? How does the League of Women Voters assure citizens of various backgrounds that they do have the right to vote? And that their vote will be counted?

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OK Radio #11
Allison Fine, Senior Fellow at Demos and Author of “Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age.”

OK Radio host Joe Folan speaks with Allison Fine, Senior Fellow at Demos and Author of “Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age.” Allison talks about what organizations need to do and beliefs they need to adopt to stay up to par in the connected digital age. How can organizations capitalize on the resources available to them? What should they not be doing? What do YOU need to know?

Allison is a successful social entrepreneur and writer dedicated to helping grassroots organizations and activists successfully implement social change efforts. As a senior fellow on the Democracy Team at Demos: A Network for Change and Action in New York City, Allison researches and writes about the future of social change and civic engagement in this new digital age.

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OK Radio #10
Robert Egger, Founder and President of DC Central Kitchen

OK Radio host Joe Folan speaks with Robert Egger, Founder and President of DC Central Kitchen. We talk with Robert on his thoughts on social enterprise and the differing problems that nonprofits face today versus a decade ago. What do people today need to know about their organization? What is the single biggest hurdle that nonprofits face today? What man made object best represents Robert’s personality?

Robert Egger is the Founder and President of the DC Central Kitchen, where unemployed men and women learn marketable culinary skills while foods donated by restaurants, hotels and caterers are converted into balanced meals. Since opening in 1989, the Kitchen has distributed 18 million meals and helped over 625 men and women gain full-time employment. He is also the Co-Convener of the first ever Nonprofit Congress and the founder of the V3 campaign, which is working to get the voice, value and votes of the nonprofit sector recognized in every election in America.

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OK Radio #9
Linda Matzigkeit, Senior Vice President of Human Resources of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Linda Matzigkeit, Senior Vice President of Human Resources of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Linda shares her insight on healthcare careers and best HR practices that can enable organizations to become great places to work for. When assessing employment opportunities, what should healthcare professionals look for? What are the unique recruitment and retention dynamics in the healthcare sector?

Linda Matzigkeit is Senior Vice President, Human Resources of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Her primary focus is to develop and execute Children’s People and Service Strategies. She provides executive oversight, vision, and support in the following areas: Recruiting, Retention, Volunteer Services, Total Rewards, Internal Communication, and Learning Services. Additionally, she has responsibility for the oversight and vision of the Customer Service Function.

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OK Radio #8
Andrew Clegg, Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development with the Points of Light Foundation & Hands On Network

OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Andrew Clegg, Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development with the Points of Light Foundation & Hands On Network, who provides insight on surviving and thriving amidst organizational change. How can management help its staff and teams adapt to changes in culture? What opportunities exist for transference of skill sets and knowledge?

Andrew Clegg is the Atlanta based Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development at Points of Light & Hands On Network, a national nonprofit whose mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes the world. His career in HR has included roles in the Corporate and nonprofit arenas, both in the UK and US. His most recent experience involves working on the HR and management issues resulting from the Points of Light and Hands On Network merger.

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OK Radio #7
George Miller, Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee

OK Radio host Joe Folan speaks with Chairman George Miller from California about the College Cost Reduction and Access Act that he helmed and was passed into law. What effect does this new law have on nonprofit careers and on the country as a whole? What expectation does the government have on how this will benefit public servants and the nonprofit community? What else does Chairman Miller have planned for the future?

Congressman George Miller is a leading advocate in Congress on education, labor, the economy, and the environment. He has represented the 7th District of California in the East Bay of San Francisco since 1975. He has recently been congratulated as the creator of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act that was passed into law late last year.

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OK Radio #6
Tim Daly, President of The New Teacher Project

OK Radio host Lynne Norton talks with Tim Daly from The New Teacher Project as he shares his experiences and insights on careers in teaching within our public schools. What character traits and skills make for a successful teacher? What are the biggest opportunities and greatest challenges for public school teachers today?

As president of The New Teacher Project (TNTP), a national non-profit organization that partners with school districts and states to improve teacher quality in low-performing schools, Timothy Daly manages the organization’s efforts to engage the wider educational community in teacher quality reforms, including recruitment, selection, training, and staffing rules.

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OK Radio #5
Tom Darrow, Principal of Talent Connections and the 2006/2007 President of SHRM-Atlanta

OK Radio host Joe Folan interviews Tom Darrow from SHRM Atlanta and discusses sector switchers and misconceptions of working in the nonprofit community.

Thomas M. Darrow is the Founder and Principal of Talent Connections, LLC, a recruiting solutions firm that was number 86 on the 2007 Inc. 500 list of America’s fastest growing private companies.

Tom has over 18 years experience in the Human Resources and Recruitment profession — including 9 years of combined experience with the global professional services firms of Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) and Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). He was the 2006 and 2007 President of SHRM-Atlanta, the largest city Chapter in the country out of 577 Chapters, and also served on the Board of Directors.

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OK Radio #4
J.D. Hokoyama, President & CEO of the Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP)

OK Radio host Lynne Norton interviews J.D. Hokoyama from LEAP and discusses diversity in the nonprofit sector.

J.D. Hokoyama is the President & CEO and a founding board member of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP). He speaks and trains nationally in all sectors on topics such as becoming a 21st century leader, understanding cultural values, risk taking and breaking the glass ceiling. Mr. Hokoyama holds a BA in English, a secondary teaching credential and a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from Loyola Marymount University. He serves on the boards of both Asian American and Pacific Islander and mainstream organizations locally and nationally.

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OK Radio #3
Bentley Marane, Vice President of Major Gifts – United Way

OK Radio host Lynne Norton interviews Bentley Marane from the United Way and discusses careers in development across the country.

With more than 25 years of experience in fundraising for nonprofit social service agencies, Bentley Marane is acknowledged as a community leader whose talents lie in her ability to coordinate support from individuals and corporations totaling more than $25 million annually. Bentley has worked with local and national organizations in developing successful fundraising programs and campaigns, organizational redesigns, volunteer recruitment and management of diverse community interests.

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OK Radio #2
Jack Gilson, Assistive Work Technology Supervisor – GDOL VRP

OK Radio host Joe Folan interviews Jack Gilson from Georgia’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program and discusses specifics of the program, larger companies that have successfully used the program, as well as how Georgia stacks up agains the rest of the country.

Jack Gilson is the Assistive Work Technology Supervisor for the Georgia Department of Labor/Rehabilitation Services for Regions 3A and 3B (Metro Atlanta). He supervises eight AWT staff positions, including Rehabilitation Technologists, Rehabilitation Technicians, Occupational Therapists, and Rehabilitation Engineers.

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OK Radio #1
Hywel Sims, Executive Director – Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus

OK Radio host Lynne Norton interviews Hywel Sims from the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus and discusses the professionalization and culture change of the nonprofit sector.

Throughout his career, whether in retail, HIV, drugs and alcohol or in his private consultancy practice, Hywel’s work has centered around one belief; that we are gifted people who, together, can heal a broken world.

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