During her time as UW’s Director of the Odegaard Undergraduate Library, Jill McKinstry was known for getting things done. The capstone project of her long tenure with the Libraries was the complete, forward-looking renovation of Odegaard that prepared the facility to meet the changing needs of students well into the future. Her colleagues described her approach as not so much ‘can-do’ as ‘will-do’ – and it’s no surprise that she carried that same strength of purpose into her retirement journey, earning her the 2025 Distinguished Retiree Excellence in Community Service Award.

Jill recalls, “I remember when I was approaching retirement, a friend of mine…said, “Well, Jill, you’ve got to figure out want you’re going to worry about, because the brain keeps going. You keep thinking about things.” And so I really kind of took that to heart

Two projects demonstrate Jill’s leadership and creativity as a volunteer: the vast improvements made to the west entrance of Seattle’s Mount Baker Park and the continued growth of the statewide Grandmothers Against Gun Violence (GAGV) advocacy organization.

An unsafe, steep, frequently muddy street end on the west side of Mount Baker Park had been used for decades as a de facto park entrance, despite the deteriorating condition of this space. With the blessing of the Mount Baker Community Club, Jill applied and won a Seattle block grant for an initial study of the area. Subsequently, she won an additional grant to defer some of the construction costs to remediate the site. With the help of a volunteer committee of neighbors that she recruited, Jill raised funds, supervised the construction, scheduled the volunteers, led negotiations with the Parks Department, the Friends of Olmstead organization, and SDOT (Transportation), which provided the construction team. She helped with planting the landscaping and ultimately paid personally for the painting of the new handrail. The landscape architect on this project writes, “[T]he slippery gravel trail that was once surrounded by weeds now provides a wonderful reminder of what one person can do to catalyze positive change. Jill’s love for her community is only matched by her amazing capacity to show up, dream, support, inspire, and lead.” Can-do, will-do, and done!

Jill joined GAGV in 2018 and soon after became treasurer of the GAGV Foundation, a crucial role in establishing an organization’s reputation for credibility and integrity. In 2025, Jill is the new chair of GAGV and its 1000-plus members. Jill says, “Living in the South End, you can’t not be aware of the unevenness of the gun violence.”

We asked Jill about where her motivation to volunteer comes from, and what advice she’d have for new retirees looking for ways to get involved. Jill says she has tended to get involved in local projects where she’s been “touched and moved by a need, and whether I can do anything to help.” As far as what she’d tell other retirees, Jill advises, “There’s no magic formula here other than really being open and following where you’re curious…Just do it! Just do it because you have nothing to lose. It’s not as if you’re going to lose your job, you know. It’s a perfect time for experimentation and for testing things out.”

Volunteerism has been a thread throughout Jill’s life. GAGV’s founder noted, “I have remarked to Jill that I think her favorite word might be yes, for that is how she always responds when asked to do a job, pitch in, host a gathering, or donate to a cause.” UWRA is proud to recognize Jill’s years of service to the community with this year’s award.