June 22, 2022
United Way’s annual meeting celebrates wins, volunteers, generous workplaces
Grants recipients, volunteer leadership also announced
- UWSELA Names Board of Trustees and Campaign Cabinet Chairs
- Blueprint for Prosperity Grants Awarded to 79 Local Programs
- 2021-22 LIVE UNITED Award Winners Celebrate Community Champions
- Southeast Louisiana’s Top 10 Most Generous Workplaces Revealed
NEW ORLEANS – United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) announced Wednesday corporate recognitions, awards, new grant recipients and volunteer leadership representatives at its annual meeting of members.
The sold-out event at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside celebrated the people, partners and programs that power UWSELA’s mission to eradicate poverty in Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes.
“Last year proved that together, we can not only weather any storm, we can weather multiple storms and crises that would stop many organizations in their tracks,” said UWSELA President & CEO Michael Williamson as he shared highlights from the year. “And while batting one crisis after another, we stayed our course and laser-focused on eradicating poverty one child, one family at a time.”
UWSELA Names Board of Trustees and Campaign Cabinet Chairs
Dr. Takeisha Davis, CEO of New Orleans East Hospital, will chair UWSELA’s Board of Trustees for the 2022-23 year. Davis is the first African American female to serve in this role. Ronnie Slone, President of The Slone Group, will return for a second year to lead the organization’s Campaign Cabinet, which supports fundraising efforts.
Volunteer leaders serve on UWSELA boards and committees to help increase the organization’s impact in the community and oversee business operations.
The following individuals will join the Board of Trustees for their first three-year term.
- Jamie Allen, Cornerstone Chemical Company
- Matt Brady, Enterprise Holdings
- Jason Byrd, UPS
- Bernie Chascin, International Paper
- Brad Fleming, Entergy Corporation
- Atim Kavi, The Reily Companies, LLC
- Anna Mahoney, Tulane University
- Marty Mayer, Stirling Properties
- Deanna Rodriguez, Entergy New Orleans
- Jennifer Saballos, Shell
- Otis Tucker, Jr., Trucking Innovation LLC
Blueprint for Prosperity Grants Awarded to 79 Local Programs
UWSELA also announced the 2022-23 Blueprint for Prosperity Programmatic Grant recipients, including 79 programs and 67 agencies serving residents across Southeast Louisiana.
The local nonprofits align with the Blueprint for Prosperity, UWSELA’s plan to end poverty and create equitable communities where everyone is healthy, educated and financially stable. The one-year grant cycle also focused on organizations promoting equity and addressing needs created by COVID-19 and Hurricane Ida.
A community volunteer and UWSELA Community Impact staff member scored each grant proposal as part of a comprehensive review process.
“To move the needle on poverty and its root causes, the Blueprint calls for us to turn to expert partners who can help us tackle the toughest issues throughout our communities,” said Takeisha Davis, M.D., incoming UWSELA Board of Trustees chair. “Very simply, our United Way funding and support will help them change lives and reimagine futures.”
View a full list of programs at UnitedWaySELA.org/CommunityPartners.
Southeast Louisiana’s Top 10 Most Generous Workplaces Revealed
The annual Top 10 Most Generous Workplaces ranking recognizes the businesses in UWSELA’s seven-parish service area that contributed the most to and through the organization during the previous fiscal year.
This year’s outstanding philanthropic partners include:
- Entergy Corporation
- Shell
- Valero Meraux Refinery
- International Paper
- Freeport-McMoRan, Inc.
- Pan-American Life Insurance Group
- UPS
- Hancock Whitney
- Turner Industries
- LOOP LLC
The top three companies and Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. held their positions from last year’s ranking, while longtime United Way supporter LOOP LLC broke into the top 10 for the first time with a nearly 12% increase in giving.
2021-22 LIVE UNITED Award Winners Celebrate Community Champions
UWSELA also honored recipients of the 2021-22 LIVE UNITED Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations that embody United Way's philosophy of working together to solve our community's toughest problems.
Two themes emerged among this year’s winners: those who contributed to UWSELA’s Hurricane Ida relief and recovery efforts and partners in advocacy for expanded access to quality early care and education.
- Volunteer of the Year
- Dr. Anna Mitchell Mahoney, Tulane University Newcomb Institute
- Hidden Heroes
- Vickie Kelley
- Cathy Powajbo
- Lisa Ulmer
- Jim Perkins
- Mike Stallings
- Employee Campaign Coordinator (ECC) of the Year
- Robbie Denny, DCL Mooring & Rigging
- Outstanding Communications
- WWL-TV
- Public Policy Award
- Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
- Community Impact Funding Partner Award
- Bill Hammack
- Community Impact Service Partner
- Children’s Funding Project
- Small Company
- DCL Mooring & Rigging
- Mid-Sized Company
- Keystone Engineering Inc.
- Large Company
- Valero Meraux Refinery
UWSELA staff members nominated and selected LIVE UNITED Award recipients.
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About United Way of Southeast Louisiana
For nearly 100 years, United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) has been a leader and trusted partner in improving lives and making a lasting difference. We fight to eradicate poverty by preparing people for quality jobs, growing incomes, and affording better health and education opportunities throughout Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes. We have a bold vision of equitable communities where all individuals are healthy, educated, and financially stable – and we have a plan. United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s Blueprint for Prosperity guides all strategic investments in programs, initiatives, collaborations, volunteerism, and advocacy aimed at tackling poverty. For more information, please visit UnitedWaySELA.org. Find us on social: @UnitedWaySELA.
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