Gina Montgomery, a transportation manager at Penn State Abington, was presented with the Ken and Sue Hoffman Award on behalf of the Abington Township Police Department for outstanding volunteerism and years of service to the community.
Montgomery, a lifelong Abington resident, received the award during the 24th annual Pre-National Night Out on August 5, an event which she manages, the university said.
According to Lt. Kevin Magee, the division commander of Community Policing for the township, Montgomery’s skills impact the evening’s success.
“Gina helps take Pre-Night Out to another level,” he said. “She is a standout person, and she has a unique talent to keep people on an even keel. Gina doesn’t do this for the recognition. Her heart is in the right place.”
Ken Hoffman, who along with his wife has more than two decades of combined volunteer experience with the Abington police, traces Montgomery’s commitment to community service to her dad, Dave Rondinelli.
Rondinelli (pictured above) volunteered with the local town watch for years and ultimately retired as the head civilian employee in community policing. He brought Montgomery into the fold.
“It’s a family tradition of volunteerism, and they help bring the community together in a positive way,” Hoffman said.
“I’ve been volunteering for so many years that it’s become second nature,” Montgomerye said. “My dad and I are very close so whenever he needed my help at Pre-Night Out and at other events, I was there.”
“Gina, Dave, Ken and Sue bring a passion to community service,” Lt. Magee said. “Volunteerism has been down since COVID, and you really see the committed ones who stuck around. You have to take note of people who have weathered the storm.”
According to the university, the skills that Montgomery brings to her volunteer roles overlap with her role at Penn State Abington: She coordinates complex shuttle and bus schedules along with supervising eight drivers and six part-time workers. Issuing student identification cards, parking permits, parking enforcement and guest parking also fall under her purview.
“I love working with the people and the students on our campus,” she said. “I speak with students at New Student Orientation to help prepare them for the semester and I go to every resource fair to answer their questions.”
She is currently planning a golf outing to benefit her son’s high school football team, and she’s coached youth basketball.
“I’ve been volunteering for years. It’s just who I am,” she said.
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Photo: PSU Abington