Idaho Director Of Americorps Has Resigned

Judy Oderkirk, director of the AmeriCorps operation for Idaho since March of last year, resigned on Monday, the governor’s office said.

Oderkirk resigned after a meeting with Gov. Phil Batt, who appointed her assistant, Kelly Houston, as acting director of the program. Oderkirk was appointed to the position by ex-Gov. Cecil Andrus.

The governor’s office said Houston would continue as acting director for an indefinite period. AmeriCorps is President Clinton’s national service program.

In Idaho, 12 AmeriCorps volunteers are working in state Department of Parks and Recreation programs, which will be called Idaho State Parks In Education or ISPIE. Houston said volunteers are serving in 10 state parks from Harriman State Park in eastern Idaho to Round Lake State Park.

Another 19 volunteers are assigned to the Idaho Trail AmeriCorps program. A couple of Idaho AmeriCorps programs are funded directly from the national level. About 25 people are working in salmon recovery operations at Lapwai on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation and 15 are in a home assistance program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Pocatello area.