Marguerite Jackson

We would like to share with all of our members, the recipient of the prestigious “Volunteer of the Year” for 2013 - 2014 is: Dr. Marguerite Jackson.

This year at the RA Spring Volun-teer Luncheon, we surprised our exemplary volunteer, Dr. Margue-rite Jackson, with the news that she was the recipient of the UCSD Re-tirement Association’s Volunteer of the Year Award. We would like to introduce her to our members.

In 2006, then RA Board member, Suzanne Anderson suggested that we tap Dr. Jackson, to fill a Board vacancy. Suzanne promised that Dr. Jackson was an amazing dynamo, who would do great things for the RA. She was absolutely right! After just months on the Board, the RA Nominating Committee put forward Marguerite to serve as Secretary, then VP, and President. Marguerite served as President for two terms, from 2008 to 2010 -- one of only five presidents in the 31 year history of the RA to serve two terms. She has since continued on the Board as the RA's representative to CUCRA, the Council of UC Retirement Assns. Dr. Jackson also took on the exacting role of Secretary for this statewide org, which represents retiree inter-ests to the Univ. of CA. She served as CUCRA Secretary for three years.

In addition her official duties on behalf of the RA, her creative side has also come into play. If you have ever been to any of our many lovely events at the Center (Open House, art shows, Art & Music Soirees, etc., you may have noticed some of Mar-guerite's contributions. She likes to sew and does beautiful embroidery work, and over the years has sewn and embroidered all of the table cloths, napkins, and runners which we use for special events. Moreo-ver, Marguerite is the consummate hostess, and has assisted the RA with countless artistic displays of hors d'oeuvres for events, from the statewide CUCRA reception in the Spring of 2006, to the art show re-ceptions and Open Houses. She has carted many of her beautiful serving items to the Center, and back home again, and she has prepared many a delectable treat for our buffets.

And as if this weren't enough, Dr. Jackson serves as a devoted mentor to numerous Chancellor's Scholars in the UCSD Emeriti Mentor Program. I'm sure you will all agree, Dr. Marguerite Jackson is a very worthy Volunteer of the Year! Thank you, Marguerite, for your amazing service!

Suzan Cioffi

"I have been a volunteer for all of my adult life. In college, I volunteered with the campus chapel; as a young faculty wife, I volunteered with the fac-ulty club; and as a novice infection control nurse, I volunteered with the local chapter of APIC (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) as a way to get to know others in the field. I started out as chapter secretary, and through nation-al APIC, ended up working as a volun-teer with the Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention to help establish innovative policies and procedures to reduce risks for infection in patients and health care workers. So it was just logical that I would volunteer with the Retirement Assn. when it was time for me to retire from UCSD after 27 years of service. In fact, I joined the RA a few months prior to retirement. Soon after I joined, I was "recruited" to serve on the RA Board of Directors and then moved into administrative posi-tions, including Secretary, President-elect, and President (2 terms). I am now serving as the UCSD Retire-ment Assn.'s representative to CUCRA, where I have just com-pleted a 3-year term as Secretary (there seems to be a pattern here!)

I started working at UCSD Medical Center in 1977 and man-aged the Medical Center Epidemi-ology Unit for about 20 years. Dur-ing that time I also went back to school to complete my PhD -- it took 10 years but I finally finished it in 1995. Subsequently, I was in-vited to rebuild the Department of Nursing Education, Development and Research (after the Hunter Group got rid of almost all of the positions in 1996) and a few years later took over managing staff de-velopment for the entire Medical Center complex. When I retired in 2003, I was invited to manage an NIH contract (part-time) for the School of Medicine. This was back when retirees could return to work 46% time for an indefinite period. The NIH funding ran out in 2010 and by then I was ready to be a full-time retiree! My hobbies include gourmet cooking, sewing, and travel with my husband, my sister, or a group of college friends. I like to take at least two big trips (2-3 weeks) each year. I also enjoy mentoring young women and have mentored 17 Preuss seniors over the last 8 years. I attended the Stanford graduation for my "super star" Preuss mentee in June. I now mentor 3 UCSD students through the Emeriti Mentoring program. My greatest joy, however, is my two grandchildren. Grace Eloise Jackson is 4 and Crawford Gardner Jackson IV is 2. They live in Orange County and I spend as much time as I can with them. Their dad is my only child and he waited a long time to marry. That makes me, at 70, an old grandma with young grandkids!

I look forward to many more productive years as a volunteer with the Retirement Association and am grateful and honored to be recognized as the Volunteer of the Year."