Tommy Park understands the power of a team. As the Executive Director of Alexandria Soccer Association (ASA), Tommy views ACT as a trusted partner. His involvement with ACT began in 2011, and it’s a similar story to many others — he made a connection. After meeting Jane Collins with InspireLit Co-Founder Jen Kenealy, Tommy was introduced to John Porter, and these early founding members of ACT were able to quickly communicate a shared vision. ASA and ACT have been productive collaborators ever since. As ACT celebrates its 20th anniversary, Tommy shares years of impact on ASA.
At first, Tommy dove headfirst into ACT’s executive leadership certification program. At the time, there were 12 ED’s participating as individuals and small groups. “It was an awesome way to not only learn best practices and nonprofit management, but also to connect with other community leaders,” Tommy says. “I’m still connected to many of the members to this day.”
The cohort had even bigger impacts in its early years for one person in particular. Cindy Lopez was a young part time staff member at partner organization Community Lodgings. Though Cindy was in search of a full-time role, Community Lodgings didn’t have the capacity at that time. By working closely through ACT’s cohort and Community Lodgings ED Lynn Thomas, ASA stepped into fill the gap, and the two organizations split Cindy’s availability so she could earn a full-time income. Ten years later – Cindy serves as the recreational league director at ASA.
According to Tommy, this story is just one example of how ACT serves as a “master facilitator.” He says, “They’re facilitating fundraisers, facilitating grants, facilitating introductions to other people they know. To me, that’s what ACT has been. They’re able to drive how nonprofits work by sharing meaningful data as well.”
This connective power was particularly evident during COVID. ACT mobilized nonprofits to support the community during the challenging time. ASA created an outdoor classroom with 50 tents and 50 workstations to allow students from all platforms to continue learning.
ACT provided capacity building grants that shaped ASA’s trajectory as well. “We’ve been fortunate to receive support for several impactful projects,” Tommy says. “They’ve facilitated strategic planning that helped get our stakeholders aligned behind a shared vision and outcomes.” It was this guidance that created long-term impacts. “We had executive coaching for some of our lead staff who needed guidance, and that was super powerful,” he says.
These days, ASA enrolls 7,500 participants per year, with 1 in 3 who need scholarship support to participate in programming. Spring2ACTion provides a connection with donors who can help bridge that gap. “As ACT has grown, we have grown,” Tommy says. ACT has helped attract resources for organizations like ASA, offering critical support.
Tommy’s been a part of ACT’s work for the past 13 years, and he’s looking toward the future. Soccer helps unify and excite people of all ages, and ASA is committed to partnering with ACT to help forward that vision. “At the core of what ASA is and what we’ve committed to is access for all,” he adds. “We dream of reaching any and every kid in the city who would like to play.”