Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Petillo has managed Olbrich's volunteer program for 15 years and has more than 30 years experience in nonprofit management. She started her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer Health Educator in The Gambia, West Africa. She has held positions as Deputy Director for health education grant work for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Directo... r of UW-Madison's Cancer Information Service; and Project Director for Life Options Rehabilitation Program for dialysis patients. Petillo defines her work with Olbrich's 600+ volunteers as a human resources office for unpaid staff. She works with staff supervisors to ensure that volunteers are assigned to work that needs to get done and is a good fit for both the volunteer and staff supervisor. She has a knack for remembering every volunteer's name and is always quick to show her appreciation for their efforts, a key to the 80% volunteer retention rate at Olbrich. "Marty's ability to assess new volunteers, place them in jobs where they will be successful, and train staff to effectively supervise the volunteers have been a few reasons for her success at the Gardens," says Olbrich Executive Director Roberta Sladky. WVCA is a Wisconsin professional association founded in 1979 to create a statewide network for managers of volunteers. WVCA is designed to serve as a positive force in the promotion of volunteerism, leadership, and volunteer management. Olbrich Botanical Gardens is located in Madison, Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Monona at 3330 Atwood Avenue.Read More