And the Volunteer of the Month Certificate Goes To….

Out of nearly 30,000 volunteers at the County, only one was singled out as the Volunteer of the Month at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. That one volunteer is David Katzenmaier, a park host volunteer at Rancho Los Peñasquitos Open Space Preserve. 

“Our parks and libraries have been recognized on a national level,” said Board Chairman Ron Roberts. “I can tell you the secret behind it is volunteers who assist us.”

David Katzenmaier has given his time to the Parks department for the last eight years. During that time, he seems to have done it all. He’s helped with park maintenance, safety, special events, opening and closing the park and even animal care. He’s even built community garden boxes.

As a master craftsman, he’s also used his skills to showcase what life was like at the historic ranch in the early 1800s. He constructed animal pens, worked on the interior framework of the barn and created display cases that give visitors a glimpse of the past.

While the Board honored Katzenmaier’s dedication and outstanding service at the award presentation, he in turn thanked the County. “Thank you for this award. I really appreciate being able to work for the county,” said Katzenmaier. “It’s a good place to work.”

Katzenmaier and the other 30,000 volunteers truly make a difference. All told, they’ve contributed  more than $33 million worth of service to the County in just one year.