Dinner with the President inspires the next generation of volunteers
Robert Painter and Taunya Painter host President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor along with recent UN Ambassador Sichan Siv and friends.
As I looked around the room that evening, I kept coming back to something Robert Painter once said: “our friendship began around volunteerism”.
It’s true.
Kushal Ramyad, Taunya Painter and Hazel Painter.
From first meeting while serving on the board alongside Taunya Painter at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, to building programs like the Youth Art Council with her daughter Katherine. The many projects centered around students, each moment has been rooted in a shared desire to give back.
But what struck me most that night was this: every person gathered around that table was connected by something deeper than work, titles, or even history.
We were connected by purpose.
Erica and Brian Riley.
It was a warm, intimate dinner. The kind where conversation lingers and expands.
And as different stories unfolded, one theme kept rising to the surface, volunteerism is not just something we do. It’s something that shapes who we are.
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Laura Rose Barth, Khajidsuren Bolor, Calvin Gin.
After reading Golden Bones, I found myself reflecting more deeply on the opportunities we have in America. Former UN Ambassador Siv shows in his story by example our ability to serve, to gather, to create change, not as an obligation, but as a choice.
That perspective shifted something in me.
A Global Perspective on Care and Responsibility
That night, we had the honor of hosting President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor.
Taunya Painter and Robert Painter, President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor and Kushal Ramyad
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj with President Obama in June 2011.
As we asked questions about leadership, about representing a country, and about shaping the future, the conversation took a turn that none of us expected—but all of us needed.
Family.
Children.
Impact.
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor and their children.
During his presidency, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor adopted 26 children. And when we spoke about that—about what it means to care, to create space for growth, to invest in future generations—his entire presence shifted.
Behind the scenes with President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor and their family.
His face lit up. His eyes softened.
And his wife’s smile said everything.
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor and family.
It was a powerful reminder that leadership, at its core, is not about position. It’s about care.
Sean Riley, President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor.
Volunteerism Starts Earlier Than We Think
There’s a misconception that volunteerism begins once we are established, once we have time, resources, or stability to give.
But that’s not where it starts.
It starts when we are children.
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor and family.
It begins in those early, formative years when we learn to share, to collaborate, to build friendships. When we begin to understand that we are part of something larger than ourselves.
Because volunteerism isn’t just about service.
It touches something deeper—something in the heart and soul that creates lasting bonds. Bonds that go beyond business relationships or social obligations.
It creates meaning.
And people who live with a sense of meaning are often the happiest among us.
What stayed with me most from UN Ambassador Sichan Siv story was his consistency.
At every stage of life, he asked the same questions:
How can I help?
How can I uplift?
How can I be a force for good?
That mindset is simple, but profound and has the power to shape a life.
And I see that same spirit in Robert and Taunya Painter. Every invitation they extend is more than just a gathering. It’s an opportunity to step into something meaningful.
Not just student projects, but purposeful projects.
Calvin Gin, Laura Rose Barth, Erika Riley, Brian Riley, Katherine Painter and Neyida Michel.
The kind that shape how we think.
How we feel.
How we move forward.
What began as a dinner conversation didn’t end there.
It expanded.
Ideas turned into action. Conversations turned into collaboration.
And soon, that shared energy found its way into something much larger… a global initiative starting in Texas in collaboration with the United Nations.
Students around the table began building a project that would invite the United States to join countries around the world in declaring 2026 as the Year of the Volunteer.
And as that vision begins to take shape—as we imagine a map lighting up with participation, led by students, fueled by purpose—I feel something deeper than excitement.
I feel hope.
What I witnessed that night wasn’t just a dinner.
It was a reflection of what’s possible when people across generations, backgrounds, and countries come together around a shared belief:
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor and family.
That caring matters.
That showing up matters.
That creating space for others to grow and thrive matters.
Volunteerism is not a phase. It’s not a milestone.
It’s a way of life.
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and his wife, Khajidsuren Bolor and Kushal Ramyad.
And when we pass that mindset from one generation to the next, we don’t just build programs or initiatives.
We build a legacy of purpose.
One that lives deep in the heart and soul—and stays with us for a lifetime.
