There are a couple of newbies at the board table for the United Way of Southwest Michigan’s Board of Directors, but they bring considerable experience to that forum.
United Way of Southwest Michigan tells us the new board members come from Whirlpool Corporation in Berrien County and Woodlands Behavioral Healthcare Network in Cass County.
The two new board members are:
- Korey Thomas, Senior Director, Investor Relations at Whirlpool
- Tim Smith, Executive Director of Cass County Community Mental Health Authority, d.b.a., Woodlands Behavioral Healthcare Network.
Anna Murphy, President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Michigan, says, “On behalf of myself, the board, and the entire organization, I want to thank Korey and Tim for agreeing to serve our community as board members. We look forward to their contribution of time and tremendous talent to help guide the important work we do.”
Thomas was named Senior Director of Investor Relations at Whirlpool this past April. In that role, he is responsible for the development and execution of Whirlpool’s investor relations and communications strategy. He joins Whirlpool from Herman Miller where he was Vice President and Corporate Controller. Prior to Herman Miller, he was a member of Whirlpool Finance for 13 years with previous roles in Global Policies and Procedures and SEC Reporting, as well as multiple roles in North America. Prior to initially joining Whirlpool, he held various finance roles at Steelcase and was an external auditor at Plante Moran, a regional public accounting firm. He earned an MBA from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Michigan State University. He also holds a certified public accountant designation.
Smith has spent the past 25 years working in human services, in various capacities, providing supports and services to the most vulnerable, overlooked, and underserved citizens among us. While most of his experience is in community mental health, he spent five years as the Executive Director at GateWay Services, now known as The Center for Growth and Independence. He earned his master’s degree in psychological counseling at Spring Arbor University and completed the Executive Leadership Program at Notre Dame.
Murphy says, “United Way is very grateful to have a board composed of remarkable individuals who represent many different facets of our community,” and adds, “We appreciate their varied perspectives and expertise that help steer us to creating lasting, meaningful change for the better.”
Here is the full list of the United Way of Southwest Michigan’s 2021 Board of Directors:
- Christina Hardy, Not-for-Profit Partner, Plante Moran – Board Chair
- Glenn Cowles, Owner, The UPS Store
- Barbara Craig, Executive Director of Community Impact & Resource Development, Lake Michigan College – Impact Cabinet Chair
- Zack East, Vice President of Customer Success, Mid-West Family Broadcasting – Vice Chair
- Randy Hendrixson, Owner, DPM Events & Berrien County Record
- Matthew Meier, VP, Global Technology & Value Streams, Whirlpool
- Gokul Nair, Global IT Director – Strategic Sourcing, Sustainability & EHS, Whirlpool – High Performing Board Committee Chair
- James Petro, Managing Director – Engineering, American Electric Power – Associate Vice Chair/Acting Secretary & Advocacy Committee Chair
- Sunil Samtani, President, Gast Manufacturing/An IDEX Corporation – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair
- Tim Smith, Executive Director, Woodlands Behavioral Healthcare Network
- Emily Szymkiewicz, Market Vice President, United Federal Credit Union – Treasurer
- Korey Thomas, Senior Director, Investor Relations, Whirlpool
- Susan Watts, Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs, Bronson Healthcare
United Way of Southwest Michigan fights for the Health, Education, and Financial Stability of every person in every community. They have the influence and relationships to make sustainable change a reality. By harnessing resources from corporate, nonprofit, and public partners, they provide immediate assistance to the most vulnerable populations among us while addressing the root causes of the community’s longstanding challenges and changing lives for the better. To join the fight—through giving, advocacy, and volunteering—you can visit http://www.uwsm.org.
