United Way of the Ozarks Celebrates and Honors 2011
March 14, 2012...(Springfield, Missouri) United Way of the Ozarks elected their Board of Directors and celebrated the successes of 2011 at their Annual Meeting and Recognition event, Wednesday, March 14 at the University Plaza Hotel.
With over 350 in attendance, Maurice Henry, 2011 Board Chair reviewed the highlights of the year which included:
- A successful 2011 campaign with pledges totaling $3,455,472, which represented 99% of what was raised in 2010
- Community Investment impact in 2011 that totaled $3,182,556
- 2011 Day of Caring that had over 1500 volunteers in August
- Hands on for Seniors, a community impact initiative that completed 139 home maintenance and repair projects for 94 seniors
- Female Leaders in Philanthropy raised $64,000 for the Ozarks Food Harvest Backpack initiative and Suit Yourself Boutique help outfit over 350 women who are re-entering the workforce
- The Tri Lakes United Way awarded $15,000 in grants to local agencies in their region
"It's been a challenging year - on many levels. But because of the efforts of our volunteers, United Way continued to rally and raise those necessary resources so that our partner agencies can work to find solutions to our community's red flag issues. Our volunteers make all the difference in these efforts," comments Maurice Henry, 2011 United Way Board Chair.
The following were elected to the United Way Board of Directors:
- Roseann Bentley, Greene County Commissioner
- Maurice Henry, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Retired
- Leslie Peck, Peck's Insurance and Financial Services
- Ryan Stack, SRC Heavy Duty
- Jim Arnott, Greene County Sheriff's Office
- Greg Burris, City of Springfield
- Kenny Boggs, Teamsters Local #245
- Raylene Appleby, PJC Insurance
- Virginia Fry, Husch Blackwell
- Dr. Shirley Lawler, Ozarks Technical Community College
- Brian McDonough, KY3
- Dr. Nancy O'Reilly, Women Speak
- Sylvia Propps, 3M
- Linda Ramey-Greiwe, The News-Leader
- Rodney Sheppard, Arvest Bank
- Clif Smart, Missouri State University
The 2012 United Way board officers were elected in February and they are as follows:
- Chairman, Greg Burris, City of Springfield
- Vice Chairman, Gary Garwitz, BKD, LLP
- Treasurer, Jan Baumgartner, Springfield First Community Bank
- Secretary, Raylene Appleby, CEO, PJC Insurance
Greg Burris, City of Springfield, 2011 United Way Campaign Chair along with Jennifer Kennally, United Way President & CEO, announced the 2011 major campaign recognitions that included:
The Circle of Caring: This recognition is presented to those companies, organizations and partner agencies with at least 50% employee participation and at least $150 per capita gift. The following 30 organizations were recognized:
- American Red Cross - Greater Ozarks Chapter, Arvest Bank, Associated Electric Cooperative, Bancorp South, Boy Scouts of America - Ozark Trails Council #306, CASA of Southwest Missouri, City Utilities, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, David Appleby, LLC, Great Game of Business, Habitat for Humanity of Springfield, Huckstep & Associates, Missouri Employers Mutual, NAMI of Southwest Missouri, OakStar Bank, Ollis & Company, Olsson & Associates, Ozarks Counseling Center, Pecks Insurance & Financial Services, PJC Insurance, Professional Answering Service, SMC Packaging Group, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Business Systems, Springfield First Community Bank, SRC Holdings, Inc., Teamsters Local #245, The Bank of Missouri, The Victim Center, and UMB Bank.
The John C Rush Award: This recognition is present to those companies, organizations and partner agencies with a 15% or more increase in employee contribution to United Way. The following 34 organizations were recognized:
- American Red Cross - Greater Ozarks Chapter, Arvest Bank, Butler Rosenbury & Partners, CASA of Southwest Missouri, Citi Smith Barney, Community Publishers, Council of Churches of the Ozarks, Dillon's, Faith Technologies, Great Game of Business, Greene County, ITT Technical Institute, J E Dunn Construction Group, Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Kirkpatrick, Phillips & Miller, CPA, Kohl's #246, Legacy Bank & Trust, Macy's #18 - Battlefield Mall, NAMI of Southwest Missouri, Old Missouri Bank, Ollis & Company, Ozarks Food Harvest, Professional Answering Service, R N Smith Company, Republic Ford, Rick's Automotive, Rose Metal Products, Springfield First Community Bank, Springfield News-Leader, Target #2098, Trust Company of the Ozarks, UnitedHealth Group, Wells Fargo, and Wilhoit Properties.
The Pillar Awards: This recognition is bestowed to a company, organization or agency that represents the highest benchmarks in creating and sustaining a United Way culture within their group. Those recognized with a 2011 Pillar Award were:
- Corporate Humanitarian of the Year - SRC Holdings, Inc & family of companies
- Outstanding Community Service - The Arc of the Ozarks
- Outstanding United Way Volunteers
- Dr. Nancy O'Reilly - Women Speak
- Bob Berlin - Empire Bank
- Kevin Porter - Associated Wholesale Grocers
Zach Adams shared how a United Way funded agency program helped their lives and that of their young son. Mr. Adams is employed by the Greene County Juvenile Department.
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United Way of the Ozarks is a locally governed, volunteer-driven organization whose mission is to increase the understanding of human needs and mobilize resources to meet those needs. United Way of the Ozarks funds over 40 programs and initiatives that address critical health and human service needs in a 14 county area.
For additional information contact Cindy Howell, at 417.863.7700 or chowell@uwozarks.com