United Way of Portage County is pleased to announce the appointment of seven new members to its Board of Directors. These new directors will provide strategic direction for continued growtharound United Way’s mission – to unite people and resources to improve the quality of life of families and individuals in Portage County.
New board members are:
- George DeBord, Chief Financial Officer of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County
- Jeff Fowler, a community volunteer who has served on several Portage County boards, including University Hospitals Portage Foundation, Coleman Professional Services and Coleman Foundation
- Lori Graham, Compliance & CRA Officer for The Middlefield Banking Company
- Anthony Horton, Director of Personnel for Kent City Schools
- Melissa Koher, Human Resources Officer for Hometown Bank
- Dana Lawless-Andric, Associate Vice President, University Outreach & Engagement at Kent State University
- Mary Ann Schaefer, Manager of Administrative Services at The Davey Tree Expert Company
“We welcome these new board members and look forward to their contributions,” said Bill Childers, United Way of Portage County CEO and President. “Our new board members have unique skills and perspectiveswe know will help guide United Way of Portage County into the future.”
Other announcements include the election of a new executive committee to lead the board: Board Chair Ryan Hough, Senior Vice President for Human Resources for 7 17 Credit Union; Board Vice Chair Pam England, Marketing Director for Portage Community Bank; Secretary/Treasurer Jeff Fowler; Campaign ChairPam England; and Community Impact Chair LuAnn Linson Coldwell, Senior Career Advisor at Kent State University.
“We are grateful to these board members for their leadership and continued commitment to United Way of Portage County and our community,” Childers said.
United Way of Portage County also welcomes Karlo Petrak, who joined the staff as Finance Director in July. Petrak served as Secretary/Treasurer of the United Way of Portage County Board until he joined the UWPCstaff. Petrak replaces Jeff Fowler, who joined the UWPC Board of Directors.
About United Way of Portage County
United Way of Portage County’s mission is to unite people with resources to improve the quality of life of families and individuals in Portage County. We envision a Portage County where no resident is without food, no child iswithout tools to learn, and no one is without access to care. United Way focus areas are:
- Youth Education: To improve reading proficiency at a young age. Together with our partners, we offer childrenaccess to quality early learning programs, literacy programs, and summer learning opportunities.
- Public Health: To promote healthy lives by building a healthier, more resilient community by promoting healthy eating and physical activity, expanding access to quality health care and integrating health into early childhood development.
- Critical Needs: To ensure that every person’s critical needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing, are met and supported. Together, we help people who are going through tough times get the assistance they need.
Our goals are ambitious, but with your help, and by utilizing our core strengths — a national network, Local Board Leadership, committed partners and public engagement capacity — we can achieve them. Visit uwportage.organd facebook.com/uwportage to learn more about our service to the community, how to volunteer or to donate.
