WASHINGTON D.C. — Michael Ashmore, of Volunteer Maine, was announced as the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Commission Staff Member Award at an awards ceremony hosted by America’s Service Commissions (ASC) on September 16 in Washington, DC. The awards program is held each year to recognize the accomplishments of state and territorial service commission staff, commissioners, service programs, and champions of national service throughout the United States and its territories.

The Outstanding Commission Staff Member Award is given to an individual commission staff member who demonstrates leadership, implements innovative strategies to get things done, and provides consistent service to programs to realize success.

Michael Ashmore joined Volunteer Maine in 2010. As Program Development & Training Officer, he is responsible for outreach and pre-application training for organizations interested in using national service as a solution. He is also responsible for providing training to funded agencies and organizations interested in increasing their capacity to utilize the power of volunteer service.

Ashmore started with the Commission as Grants Officer, a position he held for six years. He has also been a nonprofit director, a teacher at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, as well as a school district administrator. He brings experience guiding volunteers as onetime director and coordinator of volunteers for the NAMES Project-Maine; AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Ashmore was one of eleven awardees. 

2025 ASC Innovation & Leadership Award Recipients

• Friend of America’s Service Commissions: US Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska)
• State Service Leadership Award: Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser (R-Louisiana) and Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera (D-Colorado)
• Outstanding Commissioner: Allyson Snell (New Hampshire)
• Outstanding Commission Executive Director: Emily Litchfield (Arizona)
• Outstanding Commission Staff: Michael Ashmore (Maine)
• Outstanding Service Program: Salt Lake County Most Vulnerable Population (Utah)
• Outstanding Service Program Staff: Katie Snow and Victor Barrett (North Carolina)
• Honor Roll: Maryalice Crofton (Maine) and Melinda Points (Oklahoma)

“Each of these awardees has demonstrated leadership and innovation in the national service field,” said Kaira Esgate, CEO of America’s Service Commissions. “They have expanded access to critical community services, secured resources to sustain programming, and engaged countless number of individuals in service to their community. We are grateful for their leadership in each of their respective states, and for their tireless work to continually advance AmeriCorps and service at the local, state, and federal level.”

Learn more about the awards and awardees.

About Volunteer Maine

Volunteer Maine, the Maine Commission for Community Service, builds capacity and sustainability in Maine's volunteer sector by funding service programs, developing volunteer managers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of the scope and the impact of the volunteer sector, and encouraging an ethic of service. On Oct. 16, 2019, the Maine Commission for Community Service adopted the public identity Volunteer Maine. Visit VolunteerMaine.gov to learn more. 

About America’s Service Commissions

America’s Service Commissions (ASC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing and promoting the 52 state service commissions across the United States and territories with the mission to lead and elevate the state service network. State service commissions are governor-designated public agencies or nonprofit organizations made up of more than 1,000 commissioners, private citizens leading the nation’s service movement and administering more than 75 percent of the federal AmeriCorps State and National funding to address pressing community needs. Learn more at statecommissions.org