“I’m excited every day to get up and go to work because I know what I’m doing is so vitally important to people in our community. Before I came to United Way, I’d been in the private sector for many years. I made the change to come here about five years ago — and now, as I’m coming up to the latter part of my career, it was the best decision of my life.

“People in our community are suffering daily, trying to survive. I feel it’s our human obligation to never leave anyone behind. We need to step up. If you’re fortunate enough to have a roof over your head, food on the table, and family and friends that support you, it should be only natural for you to extend a hand to others who haven’t experienced the same good fortune.

“In essence, giving back to your community is really a great thing to do. Not only does it restore faith in humanity, it also reminds us that it’s our social responsibility to engage in the progress of our community and to be a small part of changing someone’s life for the better. I think that’s what the United Way is about.

“Mother Teresa’s famous quote was, ‘I alone cannot change the world but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.’ I’ve got my stone and I’m trying to create as many ripples as possible.”