United Way of York County is pleased to announce it has named Julian “Jules” Tolbert as the next Chair of its Board of Directors. Jules Tolbert steps into the role of Chair following a long history of involvement with United Way, including serving on the Executive Committee and the Issue-Focused Transformation Task Force, and acting as Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Prior United Way Board Chair Amy Wannemacher shares “As we look to refine our focus to better serve our One York Community, Jules Tolbert is the right leader for our organization.”
Jules is originally from Atlanta, Georgia graduated from Princeton University, and served as a bomber pilot and strategist in the United States Air Force. Jules retired after 28 years of service as a Colonel in 2015.
Jules Tolbert moved to York to take a leadership role with York Container Company. While there, he helped grow the company into an industry standout, then helped lead the company through an ownership transition, retiring again in 2020. Now, Jules and his wife Jolene Willman Tolbert are Community Investors in York, with special interests in strengthening Downtown, enhancing the arts community, and increasing opportunities for all populations in the City.
In addition to his United Way commitments, Jules is active on several boards, including the York County Economic Alliance and the Rotary Club of York; he is Chair of the York Business Improvement District Authority (Downtown Inc), and Chair of the Braided River Collective, an organization promoting entrepreneurship in south-central PA. Jules also has made financial investments in projects and businesses in York and is a proud member of the community ownership group of the York Revolution. Jules is also a longtime Alexis de Tocqueville Society giver.
“Jules’ dedication to United Way of York County and our commitment to equitably advance health, education, and economic mobility makes him well suited to lead our Board of Directors.” Said Anne Druck, President.
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 remains the same, but the strategies have evolved in order to meet the growing and changing needs of people living in our One York Community.
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 68,000 people annually in York County. Through gifts to the Impact Fund, United Way invests 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 One York 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.