United Way of York County Announces Executive Leadership Transition

passing the baton

New Interim President Announced

United Way of York County announces the leadership transition of President Anne Druck. Ms. Druck has served as President since 2018 and will remain in her role with the organization until December 31, 2022. 

New United Way Board Chair, Julian Tolbert shares, “On behalf of the United Way of York County, our partner agencies, and the York community, I want to express our sincere gratitude for Anne’s leadership and commitment to serving the members of this amazing community. Anne has been a passionate advocate for York County, not only through her years at United Way but throughout her entire career. We wish her only the best as she moves on to her next chapter.” 

As President, Ms. Druck was responsible for York County’s largest annual campaign, raising over $20 million over five years for more than 300 charitable organizations. During the 2020 pandemic, Ms. Druck, in collaboration with York County Community Foundation and private funders, created the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund which raised over $1.4 million to advance community recovery. Additionally, Ms. Druck was instrumental in creating the United Way of York County’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee; and successfully secured significant new funding to support United Way initiatives.

While the organization conducts a national search process, it will operate under the leadership of interim President, Amy Wannemacher. Board Chair Julian Tolbert will lead the Search Committee.  Ms. Wannemacher served as Board Chair of United Way of York County from 2019-2021 and as a member of the Executive Committee for seven years. Recently retired from Glatfelter Corporation, Ms. Wannemacher brings significant leadership skills honed during her 30+ year career. Her passion for serving the York community resulted in Ms. Wannemacher being named United Way’s Volunteer of the Year in 2018. In addition to her board experience, Ms. Wannemacher understands all levels of the organization through her extensive work serving on various committees including Allocations, Agency Review, Governance, Finance, and Strategic Planning.

Board member and Issue-Focused Transformation Task Force Chair William Hartman states, “The number one priority of the Board and staff is to ensure smooth operations as we navigate this leadership change. With the support of both Anne and Amy, we are confident that we will find the right person to lead the United Way of York County in our new strategic direction toward a more focused impact model to better support and empower families in need within our One York Community.”

About United Way of York County
For 100 years, United Way of York County has worked in the York County community to improve people’s lives. It began as The York Welfare Federation, an organization that raised funds on behalf of 17 member agencies.  Today, as United Way of York County, the mission of raising community funds remains the same, but the strategies have evolved to meet the growing and changing needs of people living in York County.
 
United Way has adapted over the years and now collaborates with other public and private organizations to engage the community in addressing the complex issues facing York County. By developing initiatives that get at the root causes of these issues, United Way and its partners find solutions and fund programs that improve the lives of nearly 60,000 people annually in York County. Through gifts to the Impact Fund, United Way is able to invest those dollars into 64 programs supported by 34 Partner Agencies. These programs address human services needs across three Focus Areas: Education, Health, and Economic Mobility. This enables United Way to tackle the immediate and continuing needs of York County families and individuals and to create real, lasting change that matters to you and our community.

Recently United Way of York County announced the decision to develop a multi-year plan to transform its community impact to an issue-focused model, concentrating future efforts and allocations towards the issue of working households that struggle to cover basic living expenses.  Approximately one in four York County households earn more than the federal poverty level but do not earn enough to pay for basic needs. United Way of York County’s goal is to help bridge the gap for thousands of financially struggling, working families through short-term support while also building pathways to self-sufficiency.  The transition to the new issue-focused model will take place gradually over the next three years and will consider the needs of our partner agencies. It is anticipated that the three-year transition plan will be developed over the next several months and be publicly announced in early 2023.