United Way Adds Regional Chairs to Strengthen Countywide Presence

As part of this year’s fundraising campaign, United Way of Cayuga County is dividing the county into three regions, with each getting a regional chair. Julisa Stone with the organization says it’s about strengthening their countywide presence.

” [It] definitely helps to unify our community and really strengthen our message that we are countywide,” Stone told Finger Lakes News Radio, “and that’s something that we’re hoping everyone will know more about as we go through this year’s campaign.”

Stone added that the idea of community chairs began in 1948 when United Way went countywide. A shift to a centralized structure took place in the 1980s but the organization hopes that creating regional chairs will help bring back a sense of localization to communities.

The three regions are North, Central, and South. The chairs will be a public face in their communities and help raise awareness about United Way’s member agencies and the work they do countywide,e regardless of where they’re headquartered.

County North is being chaired by Joanna Bilinski of Weedsport and Gennie Bartholomew of Port Byron while County South is being chaired by Christine Bickal in Union Springs. For County Central, NUCOR is chairing out of Auburn with Amanda Grover acting as liaison and Duane Thomas is working out of Sennett.

The campaign runs now through March 22 and hopes to raise $750,000 for member agencies.

More information on United Way, its member agencies, and how to donate can be found at unitedwayofcayugacounty.org.