Duval Wins Spirit of NH Volunteer Service Award

Concord Police Chief John Duval is the kind of volunteer that any agency would be proud to have in its midst. The good news is that many agencies do. He extends himself outside of his busy role as Chief of Police, to give directly, not in kind, but in person, to those in need.

As a Volunteer Youth Mentor with the Friends Program here in Concord, he infuses many hours of quality time and attention into the life of his Mentee. That is a remarkable gift. It is more than a kind gesture as he supports his Mentee in remarkable, memorable, and lasting ways. In spite of numerous honors and awards this gentleman has been decorated with, when asked what accomplishment in life he is most proud of, he states it is this mentorship. He knows first-hand how important a good Mentor is to a child, having himself benefited from important adults and the opportunities they provided along the way. His Mentee doesn’t have a father as his father died when he was young. John provides important perspective. Both the youngster and his mother are deeply grateful.

Duval has been rock steady in this mentorship for over four years. His Mentee is now 17 and Duval has ushered him through his teenaged years with steady competence. His Mentee is doing well in school and is very busy with sports, a part-time job, and even volunteer service himself. The chief of Police can take pride in celebrating the solid citizenship of his Mentee.

Duval stated, “My Mentee possesses the characteristics of genuineness, warmth and respect for those around him. Family is important to him and he exemplifies many core qualities that will certainly serve him well in the future.”

Duval has additionally served on the Friends Program Board of Trustees for 8 years in many capacities as a Member, a Vice President, and President. We honor his leadership roles with the agency while fully recognizing the fact that he is a guy who never loses sight of individual clients. Duval just completed his time with the Board of this agency, but continues on as a Youth Mentor with us. In doing so, he continues to exercise a strong value and commitment to community-mindedness in this region for our agency, but has positioned himself to help other agencies as well. His longstanding volunteerism is a natural extension of who he is by character and he has literally impacted thousands in meaningful ways.

For the Friends Program alone, his involvement with the Board during a single year has conservatively impacted 10,479 clients, 23 paid staff members, 1,000 volunteers associated with the agency, and a large Board totaling membership of 20, including officers.

Duval’s character is exemplary. He has a strong moral compass. He takes internal pride in helping others. He confidently, yet humbly provides extraordinary leadership. His witty sense of humor and genuine nature takes this highly decorated professional down to earth; making him accessible to all he encounters. He has an unassuming nature, supported by a remarkable internal drive to succeed. John’s back story reflects a boot straps up history centered in self-motivation and a knowing passion to assist others. His stick-to-it personality has many times resulted in fruitful outcomes for many. Under all circumstances, John steps forward without hesitation, with extraordinary courage, and with an ever present dignified manner. John enjoys the results of hard work and wants nothing more than the best possible outcomes for people in this region. He gives countless hours in paid and unpaid capacities to contribute to quality of life for all. He interfaces with community leaders, inter-agency collaborators, administrators, staff members, and clients; maintaining a climate of mutual respect at every turn. He moves through the world in an equitable manner modeling acceptance and leadership of the highest order.

The Friends Program alone engages more than a 1,000 volunteers during the course of a year’s time. After careful consideration, we felt strongly that John is the one deserved of this volunteer recognition. VolunteerNH clearly felt the same in recognizing him for service in the Greater Concord area.

The award will be presented at the Nov. 14, Spirit of NH Recognition Ceremonies held at the Capital Center for the Arts starting at 6:45 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public.

The Friends Youth Mentoring Program is in its 39th year and continues to facilitate and supervise mentoring opportunities for children in the Merrimack County region who are in need of support. These services are free to children and families. The centerpiece of the organization is volunteerism by strong candidates like John. The agency celebrates the work of over one hundred Mentors currently, but recognizes a waitlist of 60 plus children waiting for a Mentor. Volunteer Mentors invest in and enrich the lives of youngsters who need a leg up for a variety of compelling reasons: the death of a parent, an absentee parent, a highly medically involved family member, impoverished circumstances, arriving in America as refugees from abroad, the student that otherwise falls between the cracks, and others. Each youngster has a story to tell and most just need the chance to be heard. All face challenging circumstances with resilience and dignity, often beyond their years, and are grateful that a caring Mentor has taken an interest.

Submitted by the Friends Program.