Early in my career, I was exposed to the amazing work United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) was doing in our region and because of that I became a long-time donor. I love giving back by donating time and money; I find it incredibly rewarding.
When I had the privilege to join UWNEMN’s Board of Directors eight years ago to further support UWNEMN and its partner agencies, it felt like my contribution was multiplied ten-fold! I’m excited for the opportunity to build on my investment once again by stepping into the role of board president.
As a donor, I trust that every dollar I contribute to UWNEMN – whether through personal payroll deductions, event participation, raffle ticket purchases, estate planning, or my workplace contributes through corporate donations or event sponsorships – is used to address some of the biggest issues facing northeastern Minnesota. Serving on the board has shown me that trust is not misplaced, and I’ve seen firsthand the painstaking level of attention given to ensure donor dollars are making real impact on the most pressing community needs.
Over time, needs have changed – as is life. I’ve been impressed by the way UWNEMN leadership and staff have pivoted to tackle new issues and challenges that arise in our community. Most people don’t know how much work has been done by UWNEMN to address some of the biggest challenges facing our region including the community impacts of COVID-19, childcare availability, dental services, and mental health and wellbeing.
UWNEMN’s staff is incredibly hard working, but they can’t do it alone. I’d like to thank the people who have stepped up to serve on the board of directors and the thousands of volunteers who have mobilized to keep UWNEMN programs and partner agencies running over the years. It is important to take the time to volunteer and it is also so rewarding. It’s a value I’ve worked to instill in my son: I encouraged him to bring friends to help at last year’s Flavor of the North event and loved seeing them have an absolute blast working their butts off for the betterment of our community!
I am grateful my family and I can be a part of such an impactful organization. As this year’s board president, I hope to continue UWNEMN’s legacy of identifying needs and swiftly moving to meet them. Two of my top priorities for this year are diversifying funding sources and developing new programs to address issues brought to our attention through our recent Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Assessment and Youth United Contest responses.
These may sound like lofty goals, but given UWNEMN’s strong foundation of uniting donors, volunteers, and partners across the region, I know they’re attainable. In fact, I’m sure they’re just the beginning of the great things that will happen this year!
LaTisha Gietzen is the Marketing Manager – Mining North America for Kalenborn and has served on UWNEMN’s Board of Directors for eight years.