By Henry FrederickDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Fifteen community leaders with the United Way of Volusia and Flagler Counties were selected by the agency's executive board in early September to each 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.
This important area of responsibility comes in as the 97th story in the Headline Surfer countdown of the Top 100 local stories of 2016.
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," said Dennis Burns, president and CEO of the United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties. "They will be instrumental in guiding our United Way to best serve the community,”
“I am excited to have these talented, community-minded individuals represent the United Way as part of the Cabinet," said Dennis Burns, president and CEO of the United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties. "They will be instrumental in guiding our United Way to best serve the community,”
The Cabinet members completed their training on Aug. 31 and have begun the journey to research and propose priorities for the community.
These priorities will guide the United Way’s fund distribution process beginning in December 2016 with an open and competitive grant process.The Cabinet is being led by Chet Bell, former executive director of SMA Behavioral Healthcare. Bell is tasked with facilitating meetings for the Cabinet, leading the charge toward Community Impact and acting 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.