Over Twenty Individuals Graduate from the United Way Catalyst Program

On May 11th, twenty-one local business and community leaders graduated from United Way’s Catalyst program. During the nine-month program, participants connected directly with local nonprofits through agency tours and projects.

The 2022-2023 Catalyst program presented by Integrity Eye aims to train volunteers to serve in nonprofit leadership roles. Program participants learn about governance, financial accountability, diversity, equity and inclusion, and more topics related to nonprofit volunteer leadership. Participants also engage in social responsibility through advocacy, giving and volunteerism.

This year’s class participated in a project to better understand nonprofit boards’ diverse structures and models. Each participant group was assigned a local nonprofit and dedicated time to explore the organization’s structure and the role of volunteer leaders within it. This activity served as a valuable opportunity for participants to enhance their readiness to serve on a Board of Directors and discover meaningful ways to engage and contribute to our local community.

“It has been a privilege to witness the growth and engagement of this year’s participants within our nonprofit community. This group of passionate community leaders has demonstrated a commitment to learning in a way that will equip them to address significant challenges in our community, and we are excited to see the positive contributions they will undoubtedly make,” stated Ella Weaver, Catalyst program coordinator and Director of Strategic Initiatives and Programs at United Way.

2022-2023 Catalyst Participants include:

Theresa Alley, Redstone Federal Credit Union
Rachel Bruce, Aramark
Katie Clark, The Law Offices of Charles R. Frazier
Carlos Delos Reyes, Private Family Foundation
Jennifer Foutch, Ingram Book Company/ICG
Traci Ginn, FSA Lighting
Becca Goodwin, Goodwin Plumbing
Dawn Guardalabene, First United Methodist Church
Andy Helton, Exit Realty Bob Lamb & Associates
Briana Henry, Middle Tennessee Electric
Lauren Herald, Nissan
Sally Hickerson, Parks Realty
Jantrice Johnson, Intero/MUKA, LLC
Kenzi Keene, Keene Agency with Farmers Insurance
Trisha Murphy, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)
Lisa Rosado, Murfree & Goodman, PLLC
Jill Showalter, SMARTBANK
Meg Van Patten, COMPASS
Ariana Vandenburgh, Magnolia Medical Center
Fabrienne Wade, NTT DATA
Lewis Webb, FirstBank

Applications are now available for the 2023-2024 year. Please contact Kara Carpenter at (615) 907-1154 for additional questions or visit yourlocaluw.org/catalyst to apply by July 15.