National-service advocates are asking colleagues to sign a letter urging the U.S. Senate to act quickly to confirm the nomination of Patrick Corvington, a senior associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, as chief executive of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

A Senate committee approved the nomination in December, but the full Senate left for its holiday recess without acting on it.

The letter — drafted by the coalitions America Forward, ServiceNation, and Voices for National Service — notes that Congress approved a big increase in the federal agency’s budget in December, partly to expand its programs as authorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

“Buoyed by this landmark year, the service community is ready to address
America’s most pressing challenges,” it adds. “However, CNCS remains without permanent leadership to oversee this expansion and ensure accountability, transparency, and results.”

The national-service agency has been without a permanent chief executive since David Eisner left more than a year ago. The Senate reconvenes on January 19.