As United Way of Northeastern Minnesota’s (UWNEMN) fiscal year and my term as Board President comes to an end, I have found myself reflecting on the fond memories I have with the organization. Throughout different times of my life, I didn’t always feel like I fit in on the Range. My involvement with UWNEMN has helped me to connect with others who are passionate about caring for our community and in turn made me feel like I do have a place in the community and can make a difference.
Through my work with UWNEMN, I’ve met amazing individuals who I now call friends, seen firsthand the amazing work our partner agencies do for our towns, packed hundreds of Buddy Backpack kits, organized school supply drives at my office, and so much more! I was incredibly honored to be named Board President for 2021-2022.
Partway through my term as board president, I was offered the opportunity to move to Delta Air Lines’ headquarters in Atlanta. Moving was a difficult decision, and my involvement with UWNEMN made it all the more difficult; I knew I’d be hard-pressed to duplicate the community strength and commitment to our neighbors than that of UWNEMN! Thankfully, I was able to remain committed to my term as board president during my transition. I had weekly phone calls with Erin, UWNEMN’s Executive Director, I Zoomed or called into board meetings, and I flew back for meetings, events, and to pack Buddy Backpacks (working for an airline company definitely helped!). I was able to work from UWNEMN’s building when I came back to Minnesota; I loved the extra quality time with our exceptional staff!
My experience with UWNEMN has allowed me to meet and work with some wonderful people. As I look back, the message from Wicked, my all-time favorite Broadway show - be open to those who may be different than you; you never know what you have in common or what you can learn from each other – rings in my head: “I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them and we help them in return. So much of me is made of what I learned from you. You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart.”
I am so grateful for my time with UWNEMN and am proud to pass the Board President torch to Mike Norton. He will undoubtedly lead the organization with hard work, thoughtfulness, and generosity.
It has truly been an honor and privilege to serve as this past year’s board president, and even though I am miles away, I look forward to seeing what happens next with UWNEMN and will continue to support the organization however I can. Though I no longer live in northeastern Minnesota, my heart will always be there. For me, UWNEMN’s message of Give Where You Live has now become Give Where You Love.