Madison House is a volunteer organization connecting students from the University of Virginia (UVA) with the surrounding community, plays a pivotal role in shaping the experiences of UVA students and impacting the broader Charlottesville community. Two key voices on its Board of Directors, Suzanne Lynn ‘93 and Neha Pai ‘25, serve as co-chairs of the Board of Directors, bringing a passion for service and commitment to enhancing the organization.

During her undergraduate time at UVA, Suzanne served as a volunteer in three different programs. “Madison House was the organization that helped me more deeply engage with the Charlottesville community,” she explains. She worked with young children as a tutor at Trailblazer Elementary (then called Venable elementary) and as a volunteer with Head Start, a program dedicated to preparing pre-school children for school both socially and academically. Additionally, Suzanne worked with Migrant Aid, where she taught English to migrants who came to Charlottesville during the farming seasons. Now, she serves as co-chair of the Madison House Board of Directors.

Neha, on the other hand, has been involved with Madison House externally and internally for a few years now. She explains, “I started in Madison House my first year as a volunteer at UVA Health in the Clinical Engineering Department. Second year, I became a Program Director (PD) for that unit, but I kept volunteering in different units as well my third and fourth years while maintaining that PD role.” She values her experience seeing so many different sides to UVA health through service as a volunteer and administrator.

Despite the dualities of their roles at Madison House, the two most cherish their connections with those they serve. Neha’s favorite memory with the organization happened just this year in a health and medical unit where she used to volunteer. “I went back to the pediatric department and held an ICU baby. He fell asleep in my arms, so it was very cute. The opportunity to do that in college—he has been there since he was born, so 20 months in hospital—is something very meaningful. It made my entire week!” Similarly, Suzanne comments that her time with the Head Start Program brought her the most joy. She explains, “I loved spending time with the adorable three-, four-, and five-year-olds and just fully getting out of the world of college. I wasn’t worrying about exams or other things, but just finding joy from being around a bunch of great children.”

For both Neha and Suzanne, this is their first year as Board co-chairs, though Neha has been a student representative since her second year. Suzanne works full time running her own business, SGL Consulting.

“My volunteer service at Madison House was the reason that I do the work I do,” Suzanne says. “Better understanding the Charlottesville community and the education world led me into Teach for America, which then ultimately led to my work in the nonprofit and K-12 spaces, particularly focusing on disadvantaged youth and under-resourced communities.” Suzanne moved back to Charlottesville two and a half years ago, and happened to be talking to the then new executive director. “I was glowing about my Madison House experiences, which led to an opportunity to be on the board,” she says.

Now, Neha and Suzanne oversee a board made up of one-third students, one-third community members, and one-third UVA-affiliated members. Community members can include people living in Charlottesville, Albemarle, or one of the surrounding counties, and UVA affiliates can be staff or faculty of the University. Members of the Board of Directors also serve on committees, which focus on more specific topics like programs, finances, and development. According to Suzanne, students have been a part of the Madison House Board for a long time, as the bylaws of Madison House state that students are to sit on the board along with professionals and faculty.

Neha points out that the student/adult dynamic is crucial. “Student involvement is important, particularly because all the volunteers are students and you are recruiting UVA undergraduates to serve as volunteers,” she explains.

In fact, most student board representatives hold some type of leadership position as a Program Director or Head Program Director in a different program, so they have easy access to hearing what is going well, poorly, or could be managed differently and then can bring these concerns up in the bi-monthly board meetings.

Suzanne adds that one of the main goals of the board this year is to bring all voices to the table. “We are making intentional moves this year, making sure that students feel equipped to be full voices around the table and that we as community board members are giving the space to allow that to happen.”

With Neha and Suzanne leading the Board of Directors and Mary Denlinger as the new Executive Director—with her extensive background in college volunteer service organizations bringing added depth to the team—Madison House is poised to build on its recent success. The organization saw a 21% increase in volunteers from 2023 to 2024, a testament to its strong foundation and growth. With the expansion of programs like VITA/CASH tax preparation and a volunteer tutor bus partnership with Albemarle County Public Schools to reach more remote and rural area schools, Neha, Suzanne, and Mary are focused on sustaining this positive trajectory, ensuring that Madison House continues to connect UVA students with impactful service opportunities in the greater Charlottesville community.

By Cecilia Murphy