William Basl

Bill Basl, a White House appointee, served as the Director of AmeriCorps State and National at the Corporation for National and Community Service from 2012-16. Bill began his national service career as a VISTA volunteer in 1970, helping migrant farm workers in Washington establish their own businesses. In 1983, Bill founded the Washington Service Corps, the first statewide youth service initiative in the nation designed to address priority local education and human service needs. Basl also founded the nation’s first veterans’ corps in 2010 and is noted for establishing a collaborative regional network to provide AmeriCorps training across the Pacific Northwest. In 1993 he was called upon by the Governor to create the WA Commission for National and Community Service. He provided a vision for service and volunteerism serving in this capacity as a staff person to three Washington Governors from 1993 until his White House appointment in 2012. He is a past chair and board member of the American Association of State Service Commissions and was selected by the White House as a Champion of Change – Service Innovator in 2011.