Erik Hotmire is communications director for the USA Freedom Corps
Taylor grad on staff at White House
By JIM GARRINGER
For the Chronicle-Tribune
Regardless of the amount of time, whether it's for a few hours a week or even a month, everyone can do something.
That message is at the heart of Erik Hotmire's work. A 1995 Taylor University graduate, Hotmire is special assistant to President George W. Bush and communications director for the USA Freedom Corps, a White House-based council that matches Americans' interests and talents with service opportunities.
"My job is to encourage Americans to volunteer," Hotmire said.
His responsibilities include promoting the president's call to service with public service announcements, ad campaigns and interviews; traveling throughout the United States and selected international stops; and group Oval Office briefings with the president.
"God has really blessed me to be able to serve in government over the past few years (and) at the age of 32 to be sworn in at the White House as a commissioned officer of the president," Hotmire said. "It has been an honor to serve the president, to get to know him a little bit."
During his Taylor years, Hotmire worked at the campus radio station while studying communications and political science. After he graduated, he continued in radio before joining the communications staff of former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats in 1995. He later worked for Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback before joining the USA Freedom Corps last year. Today he lives in Annandale, Va., with his wife, Erica, and daughter, Jaida.
The USA Freedom Corps was born in the days after Sept. 11, 2001, and works to expand and strengthen federal service programs like the Peace Corps, Citizen Corps, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. Chaired by Bush, the USA Freedom Corps staff, including Hotmire, works from offices in the White House.
Hotmire said his one of his organization's accomplishments was a first for the federal government -- the systematic tracking of the number of Americans involved in some sort of community service. Last December's survey concluded 63.8 million Americans gave of themselves at some level during the 2003 calendar year, a number that rose nearly four million from 2002 levels.
"A large number of Americans list their faith as a reason for service," Hotmire said. "That sort of service is counted in what we encourage Americans to do. Boy Scouts, prison ministries, food banks, all that is volunteering, all that is something that the president and USA Freedom Corps encourages people to do.
"I am so encouraged by what I see across the country and by meeting so many people who are dedicated to helping people in their time of need. I think that being a Taylor student and learning about the importance of servant leadership as a student leaves an indelible mark. We are all called to make a difference in our world. That is something I took away from my time at Taylor."
Jim Garringer is the director of News Services for Taylor University.
