When Ron Kline retired from his computer scientist job at the Department of Defense in 1999, he worried about being bored. He didn't want to spend his days watching soap operas and talk shows, so he went to the Columbia office of the Foreign-born Information and Referral Network, seeing if he could volunteer.
Kline, who had taught English while living in Japan, had hoped to teach English for the nonprofit organization, which provides resources for county residents who were born in other countries. But his well-trained eye couldn't help but notice that FIRN's computer systems were in dire need of improvement. So he offered to work on the computers instead.
Since then, Kline, 66, has been coming to the FIRN offices about 30 hours most weeks. He has drastically improved the computer system so that they all work together, while protecting private information.
For his efforts, Kline asks for nothing but free coffee and the occasional piece of chocolate. He said a little appreciation goes a long way, which is why he was so honored to be recognized recently as the Howard County Volunteer of the Year.
Jennifer Blake, executive director of FIRN, said she nominated Kline for the award because his work is so valuable.
"We can do what we do because of him -- it's that critical," she said. "I don't know how the other nonprofits do it."
Like other nonprofits, FIRN has a tight budget, and would not be able to hire a computer whiz like Kline, Blake said.
Every year, the county accepts nominations and then chooses a volunteer of the year, said Kathleen Sloan-Beard, coordinator of the program. This year, 44 individuals and eight community groups were nominated.
The nominees attended a ceremony at the George Howard Building earlier this month, where the winners were announced.
Other winners included the 30-year-old Elkridge Adult Association, honored as Community Organization of the Year for its community service; Elkridge resident Timothy Stapleton, a junior at Loyola Blakefield in Towson, as Student of the Year for his work raising money to build a sensory stimulation room for the ARC of Howard County: and Joseph Murray Sr. of Columbia as Humanitarian of the Year for his work with the arts, children, homeless families and the developmentally disabled.
Sloan-Beard said the two official categories are individual and community organization, but the committee often decides to give special awards based on the nominees.
"This year we had a number of students nominated ... and we were just so impressed by the commitment of these young people," she said. And Murray "jumped out because he does so many things," she said. "He's one of the first to jump into the trenches when there's work to be done."
Kline said he was did not expect to hear his name announced as Volunteer of the Year. When the Columbia resident was listening to the presentation, he said, "all I could think was, 'boy, this sounds a lot like what I do.'"
But Blake said he more than deserves the honor. Thanks to his work, the 15 computers at FIRN easily handle information for more than 1,200 cases a year, keep track of volunteers, generate statistics and reports, and take care of payroll. Kline also set up a Wi-Fi system so job counselors could work from their own laptops.
Kline jokes that his "office" at FIRN is actually a tiny closet that contains the computer server, a couple of printers and a copy machine. A bucket of paint is in the corner. "I've been doing some touch-up painting," Kline said.
Kline's influence can also be found in the FIRN lobby, where photographs of his travels are framed and hanging on the walls. One advantage of being a volunteer, said Kline, is that he and his wife, Glenda, who also retired from the Department of Defense, can now travel when they want.
ksnitkin@comcast.net