Congratulations, Judd Mellinger-Blouch, our 2018 Kennedy-Kafer Service Award recipient!
Service is something that comes naturally to our Pennsylvania member, Judd. Which made him a natural fit to receive our Kennedy-Kafer Service Award in 2018! Judd started as our 3RNet member for Pennsylvania when he began with the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) in 2014. And, he’s been helping out however he can since.
“Service in the 3RNet world has to do with looking at my mission here in Pennsylvania and seeing that it extends across the nation. My goal is to recruit in Pennsylvania, but I can help other states and they can help me as well. I see this as an organization with a great heart. It’s a community. It’s almost-like community service, if you will, as I’m helping people who do what I do and they’re helping me, too,” Judd said.
Judd started with PACHC after working for twenty years with the Pennsylvania Medical Society. He hadn’t considered a role like a recruiter before, but his background in marketing, communication, and public relations turned out to make his job the perfect fit.
“There was no way I was planning on being a recruiter, but when it happened it was perfect for me. I looked at the job description and it was a perfect fit. I love working with people who want to work with underserved populations. You’re really helping people get health care who wouldn’t otherwise get it,” Judd said.
Beyond working hard to connect quality, mission-driven providers to jobs across Pennsylvania, Judd has also worked hard for 3RNet: he’s currently serving his second term as a 3RNet board member, he’s served on both the Marketing and Annual Conference Planning committees, and he was also part of the ad hoc group that worked toward finding new tracking software for 3RNet.
“Getting involved really brings this organization to life for me. It’s not hard. It’s not that much time. It’s a legacy from my parents to be involved like that. It’s been a great opportunity to help this organization thrive. It’s something I automatically go toward: involvement. It makes being involved with an organization so much more valuable to me,” Judd said.
His advice to others new to recruitment and 3RNet?
“Attending my first 3RNet Annual Conference in Denver was really educational because to that point 3RNet was nothing more than a place to post jobs. It was something we were members of for a long time; we had posted jobs on 3RNet since 2000. Then I got there and there were all these people involved. I started to see it more as an organization. It was a community of people. I could see me having a national impact. Those opportunities don’t along that often. It was a real natural fit,” Judd said.
And, Judd shared that he’s also met a few people along the way who have helped make his involvement worthwhile.
“I have great friends within 3RNet. I have people I can call to pick their brains; people call me to pick my brain. I don’t feel like I’ve served 3RNet, I feel like 3RNet’s served me,” Judd said.
We are grateful 3RNet has such an excellent voice in Pennsylvania! Thanks for all you do for 3RNet, Judd, and congratulations again on being named our 2018 Kennedy-Kafer Service Award recipient.