Travis Staton, President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Virginia, announced the merger Monday, September 10, 2018.
Pulaski County United Way along with United Way of Southwest Virginia announced today that they have combined forces as one organization committed to improving lives and creating lasting community-level change across the region.
Details of the merger were presented during a news conference Monday at the Pulaski County Visitors Center in Dublin, Virginia.
“This merger is the product of hard work and diligence on the part of the Board of Directors of both Pulaski County United Way and United Way of Southwest Virginia,” said Thomas Holsinger, former Board Chair of Pulaski County United Way. “We know that by combining our efforts with the resources, expertise, and experience of the United Way of Southwest Virginia, we will bring more capacity and resources to Pulaski County to create much needed generational change.”
The process was led by a team of volunteer leaders from each United Way involved, who spent several weeks exploring the opportunity and working together to ensure the merger is positioned for success. “This has been a thorough and thoughtful process. We are excited to come together as a region and build on one another’s strengths to create a lasting impact,” said Mary Begley, Manager of External Affairs for Appalachian Power and Board Chair of United Way of Southwest Virginia.
Pulaski County will benefit from the new partnership through multiple initiatives that will become active in Pulaski County immediately. United Way of Southwest Virginia has a comprehensive model focused on improving health, education and financial stability through such initiatives as Ignite, FamilyWize, My Free Taxes, Smart Beginnings, Virginia Quality, Infant Toddler Specialist Network, and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.
Travis Staton, who will continue to serve as President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Virginia, stated, “This merger will increase our ability to advocate for Southwest Virginia on issues facing the region. Additionally, this will allow us to continue to scale important programs across the region as well as to attract the resources from those interested in wider geographic programs that serve more people and influence greater social change.”
The newly merged entity will have a footprint that covers nearly 17% of the state of Virginia, providing programs and initiatives that serve the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe, and the cities of Bristol, Galax, and Norton.
