United Way Volusia Flagler Selects 15 to Lead New Community Impact Cabinet

Fifteen community leaders were selected by the United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties’ Executive Board to lead the new vision of Community Impact beginning August 24, 2016. These leaders will serve a two-year term on the Community Impact Cabinet that is responsible for strategically mapping United Way priority areas, reviewing requests for funding, and monitoring programs and results from those programs.

 

United Ways across the country are moving to a results-based accountability framework titled Community Impact. This shift in focus allows United Ways to become more focused in their funding and to track measurable changes to local issues. The Cabinet will be responsible for reviewing community trends and statistics, responses from community surveys, and drawing on their subject-area knowledge to determine priority areas for the United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties.

“I am excited to have these talented, community-minded individuals represent the United Way as part of the Cabinet. They will be instrumental in guiding our United Way to best serve the community,” said Dennis Burns, president and CEO of the United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties.

 

The Cabinet will be led by Chet Bell, former executive director of SMA Behavioral Healthcare. Bell will facilitate meetings for the Cabinet, lead the charge toward Community Impact, and act as an advocate for the United Way. The Cabinet members were selected through an application process and include; Woody Douge - State of Florida, Maralee Walsh - Retired, Heidi Kochis - Volusia County Schools, Mary Jo Allen - Halifax Health Hospice, Chet Bell - Council Board Chair/Retired, Dan Davis - City of Bunnell, Myron Fottler - Professor Emeritus, Dean Kurtz-ISC & Daytona International Speedway, Edward Dimayuga - Attorney/Law Office of Richard Culbertson, Janet Hamer - TD Bank, Robin King - CareerSource Volusia Flagler, John Polizzi - Retired Technology Leader, Carrie Baird - Baird Solutions Consulting Firm, Michael Ugarte - Halifax Humane Society, and Charity Palacios – Teacher at Flagler Palm Coast High School.

 

The Cabinet completed their training on August 31st and has begun the journey to research and propose priorities for our community. These priorities will guide the United Way’s fund distribution process beginning in December 2016 with an open and competitive grant process.

 

In addition, Joe Coury Effective Strategies came out to train the Cabinet in developing a vision.