Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010 11:00 am

Because of its annual United Way employee fundraising campaign, State Farm Insurance presented a check for $99,476.10 to the local United Way.

United Ways of Tennessee (UWT), which provides member support services to 38 United Way organizations across the state, recently restructured its Board of Trustees to more accurately reflect the changing face of United Way supporters.

“We always need to be willing to adapt and grow. With the changes in our economy some may say ‘now more than ever.’ Our internal representative board decided it was time to make a change in how we assemble leadership to take United Ways into a new era,” UWT Board Chair Bryce Haugsdahl said.

“With our new board structure, we gain valuable knowledge and insight from leaders across our state and within our communities,” said Haugsdahl, executive vice president and chief operating officer of United Way of the Mid South in Memphis. “Simply put, we know it’s important to have state leaders outside our own United Way organizations to more accurately reflect the ideas being formed in communities, our business partner organizations and other teams of supporters,” Haugsdahl said.

Williamson County United Way President and UWT Nominating Committee Chair Ann Buchanan announced the new members. Executive Committee Officers include Chairman Bryce Haugsdahl; Past Chairman Rick Morrow; Chairman-Elect Alan Turner; Treasurer Gary Bowman; Secretary Wendy Peay; Nominating Committee Chair Ann Buchanan; and filling the newest post is At-Large Representative Mary Freeman, Director of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority.

Additional Board members include: Eric Dewey, President United Way of Metro Nashville; Dawn Holley, Director of United Way of Bedford County; Eva Dillard, President of United Way of Greater Chattanooga; Ben Landers, President of United Way of Greater Knoxville; CeeGee McCord from Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport; Linda O’Neal, Director for the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth; Jimmy Stone, Deputy Director for Facilities and Operations for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Tim Webb, State Commissioner of the Department of Education; and Don Witherspoon, a retired executive from Pfizer Inc.

“Last year alone, United Way organizations across the state distributed nearly $100 million in funding to more than 1,300 nonprofit agencies and programs,” UWT President Mary Graham said. “United Way is the driving force behind many initiatives that address the state's most critical needs including literacy programs, early childhood intervention programs, family resource centers, initiatives creating economic opportunity and more. Our work is impacting education, income and health across Tennessee every day.”

Pictured above are:
(L-R) Bonnie Mitchell (United Way Employee Campaign Manager for State Farm), Cheryl Mosby (State Farm Manager of Human Resources), Lori Simmons (State Farm Loaned Executive to United Way), Jeff Shay (State Farm VP Operations), Brian Hercules (United Way President and CEO), Carolyn Tumbleson (United Way Director of Resource Development), Meagan Flippin (United Way Director of Marketing and Special Events), and Chuck Lewis (United Way Past Chairman of the Board).

This year’s United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties fundraising goal is $2.8 million and the overall campaign ends on Feb. 14.