Say hello to our 2016 Campaign Co-Chairs, Carroll Welch and Bear Stephenson! We are honored and excited to have them on the team for this year’s campaign, and we can’t wait to see the impact they will have in the community through United Way! Their years of experience, their passion, and their fantastic senses of humor guarantee that this year will be our strongest year yet.
If you don’t already know Carroll and Bear, you’ll want to. Carroll brings over thirty years of nonprofit experience to the table, serving as the Deputy Executive Director to The Children’s Museum since 1984, as a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, and as a member of Altrusa International. Carroll is an educator, a mentor, and a leader for many in the community, including our own Executive Director, Naomi. “Carroll is truly amazing – I’ve never seen her without a smile on her face, a funny story on her lips and fantastic shoes on her feet! From the minute I first met her (long ago at the gym!) I have wanted to grow up and be like her. She is gets things done, she’s is positive about everything, and no one can ever say no to her!”
William ‘Bear’ Stephenson started his business, Stephenson Realty & Auction, in 1982 and has made a name for himself as an auctioneer and comedian. Inducted into the Tennessee Auctioneers Hall of Fame in 1999, He has mentored many local auctioneers and regularly volunteers at benefit auctions and nonprofit events. Beloved for his humor and energy, throughout the community, he conducts hundreds of charity auctions a year and is deeply invested in giving back to our community. After hearing he would spend the fall standing next to the beautiful Carroll Welch, Bear agreed wholeheartedly to reprise his role as Campaign Co-Chair!
Carroll and Bear join us as last year’s Co-Chairs, Jim Dodson and Gene Patterson, step down and we transition to a new Focus Area: Self-Sufficiency. Last year, United Way of Anderson County shifted to three-year funding cycles with three new focus areas: Youth, Health and Senior Services, and Self-Sufficiency. These three areas are cycled over a period of three years, and agencies apply for three-year grants during the appropriate focus year. This gives agencies extended grant security and allows each area of need to receive full attention from the community.
Both Bear and Carroll are excited by the hands-on approach UWAC has taken in the past year. “I look forward to working with Naomi, her staff, and with my good friend and co-chair Bear Stephenson,” Carroll says, “and to have the opportunity to visit with each of the United Way agencies and to learn first hand their stories and how United Way has impacted their success.”
Although the 2016-2017 campaign won’t officially start until August, Carroll and Bear are already working to raise awareness, promote upcoming events and trainings, and motivate the community to act. We’re thrilled to be working with two such compassionate people who already make such an impact in Anderson County and who are committed to improving lives every day.