Mark K. Shriver to be Honored by JCC
Last year, one of our board members introduced me over email to the president of an independent school in the Takoma Park area.
After a few messages back and forth, we scheduled a meeting at the JCC for the following week. Mark arrived, and we sat together around the table in my office, simply getting to know one another. He was personable and kind, and he spoke with genuine appreciation for the work we do at the Bender JCC. He was especially impressed by our inclusion program and the ways we support individuals with disabilities.
Mark went on to tell me about the Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School that he leads and how it provides a college‑preparatory education for high school students from underserved communities. He was especially animated as he described his students’ successes—many of whom go on to attend prestigious colleges and universities, often as the first in their families to reach that milestone.
He was also eager to share details about their work‑study internship program, a graduation requirement for all Don Bosco students. He wondered whether the JCC might serve as one of their partner sites, giving students the opportunity to build real job skills in a supportive environment. We ended the meeting with a handshake, and I told him I would bring the internship idea to our management team and follow up if there was interest from any of our departments.
After I shared the idea with our team, our Director of Member and Guest Service, Deb Rosenberg, immediately came forward and was very excited to pursue the internship idea. She took the lead, reached out to other department heads across the JCC, and brought the internship program to life.
For the past six months, we’ve had three interns from the school, and they have been a wonderful addition to our team, supporting a variety of departments across the JCC. I hope their time here has been as meaningful for them as it has been for us to work alongside these talented high school students.
I honestly didn’t realize who Mark was the day I met him. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him. Once I learned more about his background, I was struck by his humility as a leader. He didn’t send someone else to the meeting, he came himself, and you could hear the passion and commitment he has for the school and ensuring his students’ success. It was clear he knows his students well and that he is out in the field every day, advocating for them and championing their futures.
I was delighted when our nominating committee for the Benjamin Ourisman Memorial Award for Civic Achievement reviewed our twelve nominees and selected Mark as the 2026 recipient. His impact, as a leader and as a human being spans many areas, including his work with Save the Children, his leadership at Don Bosco, his advocacy for children and teens, and his contributions as an author, to name just a few.
We are excited to honor Mark on April 28 at Voices of Leadership and to hear the conversation between him and his brother Timothy, Chairman of Special Olympics. The discussion, moderated by Andrea Mitchell of NBC News, will bring together two leaders who are inspiring change and breaking barriers.
