Few can describe the intersection of public relations and public service better than Robert Kolt, professor in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and chair of the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC).

Kolt, a Democrat, was first appointed to the MCSC by then-governor and Republican Rick Snyder in 2012. In 2017 he was elected chair of the commission.

“Volunteering and public service—and actually doing the hard work—is not a partisan kind of thing,” Kolt said.

A large part of the MCSC involves overseeing the AmeriCorps programs (including the VISTA program, which you can read about in this report). Despite tumultuous circumstances, AmeriCorps volunteers continued to work across the state (and country) into 2020, getting others engaged in volunteering and helping to provide food, PPE, and other necessities to communities.

During the pandemic, “Every day is a challenge, but I would say every day is a success too because we always overcome them,” Kolt said.

Kolt’s leadership experience and work in the field of community engagement makes its way back to his classroom, where he teaches students about public relations.

“The key thing that I tell my public relations strategy students is that public relations strategy is about innovation and problem-solving and decision making,” Kolt said. “That’s what you want to learn in public service.”

“MSU has been a great pathway to provide service for people,” Kolt said. On MSU’s campus and across the state, the MCSC and AmeriCorps program continues to be involved in providing service opportunities.