CU staff members help lead local and campus United Way efforts

Several members of the Cornell community are playing key roles in the 2004 United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC) campaign on and off campus. Their efforts, which started last spring, are aimed at raising $1.8 million this fall. Of that, United Way hopes that $600,000 will come from the Cornell campus campaign, which includes employees, retirees and students.

Charles Walcott, dean of the university faculty, is chairing the campaign on campus this year, assisted by a cabinet of 16 Cornell staff. Susan Murphy, vice president for student and academic services and a former chair of the Cornell United Way Campaign, is chair of this year's UWTC board of directors and executive committee; Donna Green, administrative assistant in the College of Veterinary Medicine, is the second vice chair. Other Cornell-affiliated members of the board include John Alexander, president of CBORD and a Cornell trustee; Eugenia Barnaba, senior extension associate in crop and soil sciences; Rev. Kenneth Clarke, director, Cornell United Religious Work; and LeNorman Strong, assistant vice president for student and academic services and a former chair of the Cornell United Way Campaign. In addition, Mary George Opperman, vice president for human resources at Cornell and a former chair of the Cornell United Way Campaign, is the Higher Education Division chair.

The campus campaign cabinet is a devoted group of volunteers who represent a cross section of Cornell employees. They include: Karen Brown, office manager of the Campus Life Management Office; Donna Goss, executive staff assistant, Facilities Services; Donna Jenney, finance specialist, Business Service Center; Diane LaLonde, executive staff assistant, Dean of Faculty; Susan Lang, senior science writer, Cornell News Service; Peggy Matta, senior project consultant, vice president for administration and chief financial officer; Opperman; Cathy Salino, manager of accounting operations, financial affairs; Dennis Stein, employee outreach manager, Human Resources; Gary Stewart, assistant director, Community Relations; Strong; Laura Toy, director of college, unit and project development, Division of Alumni Affairs and Development; and Robin Yager, director of the University Administrative Service Center. Also serving on the campus campaign cabinet is Kathy Okun, senior university adviser and spouse of Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman.

"We often think that United Way agencies provide support -- crisis lines, addiction services, housing assistance, hot meal and transportation services, mental health centers and emergency housing -- that 'other' people need," said Okun. "However, many people in the Cornell community use these services as well. The 'others' could also be 'us.'"

United Way is an organized effort to raise money to support more than 100 local programs through 30 member and affiliated agencies and 11 community councils that are designed to meet critical needs in the local community, Walcott said.

Cornell staff and retirees can expect to receive their pledge cards in early October. For more information on the United Way or to obtain a pledge card before then, see http://www.uwtc.org/give.asp.