Volunteers in the Spotlight:
Reel People

Maureen Keenan

Bob Adams

Rule No. 1, use best judgement in all situations. There will be no additional rules. This is Merchandise Booth Captain Maureen Keenan’s guiding philosophy as attributed to the employee handbook of one of the most customer service-oriented retailers in the U.S., Nordstrom’s.

And clearly, Maureen’s best judgement keeps smiles on the faces of Film Festival goers who stop by the Merchandise Booth. Not only does Maureen sell the merchandise, but she also merchandises the merchandise to attract attention (given the limited facilities inside the Festival tent) and makes decisions about what to stock.

Maureen says being a project manager on Regulatory Operations helps her to be able to manage the merchandise operations of the festival. She is a spreadsheet wizard and tracks statistics to keep Film Society leadership updated as the Festival progresses.

“What is amazing about Maureen is that she is a film enthusiast and she gives up the opportunity to see great films to be Captain of the Merchandise Booth during the entire Festival,” says Sue Early. “She has an ‘engineering’ side to her as evidenced by the wonderful display changes she has made during the past three years. Maureen also creatively designed the Reel Deal daily specials which provide great savings for customers. Maureen is very organized and is a good planner which is vital to an operation that counts, folds, displays and sells hundreds of merchandise items in a few days.”

“I really enjoy the merchandising aspect,” says Maureen. “I think back to when Roz (Fierberg) had it; sometimes I say to myself, WWRD (What would Roz do?). I think that is how I came up with Reel Deals this year.”

Maureen says what she enjoys most about volunteering is the people -- both the staff of the Film Society as well as the film goers. “Back when I first started volunteering, I had been put under a Wendi Dennis spell, and have never looked back,” says Maureen. “Wendi brings out the best in me, always wanting to give more than 100%.”

Maureen volunteers other times of the year as well, selling and taking tickets for various weekend movie series and events.

Maureen moved to Rehoboth about 10 years ago. She says she always wanted to live in a beach town with a community she could be part of. It was actually at a Film Festival where Maureen met her partner, Teri, for the second time and as she says, the rest is history. Together they enjoy traveling to visit family, weekend adventure getaways, vacations to Arizona and Florida and locally can be found kayaking, running in 5Ks, or having friends over to watch football.

Maureen works full time and has been with the same corporation for more than 30 years. “Since my corporation offers a monetary gift of $750 to organizations I volunteer for more than 50 hours a year, it is a win-win. I volunteer for organizations close to my heart, the Film Society and CAMP Rehoboth.”

Maureen says “I am a firm believer in mood follows action. So I try to do things that will keep me happy. Volunteering, being of service and part of a community certainly help in keeping that mood high.”

Thank you Maureen; we are happy that the Film Society is a beneficiary of your philanthropic and energetic actions that keep your mood high! And we are also grateful to your company for recognizing your contribution with a matching financial contribution to the Film Society.

Meet Bob Adams, Festival tent Beverage Booth Captain extraordinaire! Bob began volunteering with the Film Society in the early years of the Festival. His wife of 52 years, Marie, saw an article in the newspaper saying that volunteers were needed for the Festival. She went to the advertised volunteer meeting and not only signed herself up, but signed Bob up as a volunteer bartender as well. And the rest is history in the making every year.

As Beverage Booth Captain, Bob works 12-hour days during the Festival, ensuring that every three hour shift between 10:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M. each day is filled by volunteer bartenders. He also ensures that there is enough product each day and replenishes stock as needed. Bob says he has “great volunteers at the booth… they are willing to stay if someone doesn't show up or it gets really busy; …they just go with the flow! We have a good time. Its hard work at times but the people are great and it’s a lot of fun.”

“Bob is a wonderful captain, says Sue Early. “If you give him an assignment, you know he will be committed to doing the best job possible. With an event as large as the Festival, it relieves my stress to know that Bob is in charge of the Beverage Booth. He is reliable, honest, and responsible beyond my expectations. As a former police officer, he also brings the ‘safety factor’ with him, an extra bonus!”

“How nice it is to be recognized for doing something you receive such satisfaction from and enjoy doing so much,” says Bob. “It’s funny working this job because I don't even drink, yet I can make these drinks for our patrons”.

Bob says he enjoys volunteering because it gives him personal satisfaction and a way to give back to the community. He and Marie also volunteer for the Jazz Festival, providing hospitality for the entertainers. As a retired police detective, Bob has been a board member for 43 years, and a trustee with the Fraternal Order of Police, Delaware County Lodge #27, so he is very active in that organization as well.

“This area we live in is wonderful; there are so many opportunities to give back, Bob says. “It is quite satisfying. How fortunate we are to be here and call it ‘Home’. Marie and I spend the winter in Naples, Florida. We leave on the auto train in January and return to Delaware in May. It’s great to vacation there, come and see us this winter!”

If you can find Bob on a beach somewhere in Naples, Florida and decide to take him up on his offer to visit, do it early, because while it is wonderful to get away, Bob says “there is nothing like coming back to Delaware and home!!!!!”