New United Way director gets to work

The new executive director of the United Way of Central Arkansas started work Tuesday.

Amy Blaylock of Conway started her day meeting with the United Way board of directors and is looking forward to tackling the challenges ahead, she said.

“I think this job has always been ready for me to take,” she said. “I wanted to get back into nonprofit. It was the right place and the right time. I now have the opportunity to work and take on this challenge, so I’m excited.”

Blaylock comes to the United Way from Metropolitan National Bank, where she worked as training and development manager. She previously worked for Counseling Associates in Conway and Midsouth Health System in Jonesboro. She has also worked for the Arkansas Department of Health. She said she thought her experience in nonprofit and working for the state government would serve her well at the United Way.

She also just graduated this week from the Faulkner County Leadership Institute Class of 2009.

“During our day of health services and nonprofit, I remember leaving that thinking, ‘I want to do that again. I want to manage that. I want to lead in nonprofit.’ The Faulkner County Leadership helped stir my compassion for this again, and I’m very excited about that,” Blaylock said.

She said she has also served on United Way site visit teams during the past four years. Site visit teams are made up of community volunteers who visit United Way partner agencies and learn about their programs. The process is used to help determine how funds are allocated.

“Being able to sit through the allocation process will be a really nice and unique opportunity,” Blaylock said.

Terry Talley, president of the board of the United Way of Central Arkansas, said, “The board of directors of the United Way of Central Arkansas is very excited about Amy Blaylock becoming our executive director. She brings both experience and an infectious enthusiasm to the role. We believe Amy will have immediate impact on the effectiveness of the UWCA and our partner agencies.”

Asked about her first priority, Blaylock said, “The first thing I want to do is build relationships with the current agencies we have and make certain they are good, strong relationships.”

Regarding whether she has concerns about the pending audit on United Way, Blaylock said, “I am not concerned. I believe I have a very strong board and a great support staff. We will take whatever comes out and make United Way stronger than ever.”

She added, “Some of the preliminary numbers coming in from the work campaigns look like they are higher than they were last year, which is an awesome opportunity. We’re at 65 to 70 percent complete on workplace campaigns. They will be finished by the end of December, and then we will have a good monetary number to start our budgeting for the allocations. We have a pretty busy next two or three weeks with workplace campaigns.”

She concluded, “I look forward to remaining community oriented. I have to go back on what United Way is all about; it’s about living united. If we can remember that — it’s all about what we share and give, and continuing to live united.”

(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)