Cross Keys Bank
Chair-Elect
Q: How did you come to be involved with the United Way?
I have been involved as a United Way supporter my entire professional life. I contributed to the UW when I first entered the work force and was involved in numerous workplace campaigns, including leading the one at Regions Bank shortly after I moved back to Shreveport. I was voted onto our board two years ago in part from getting to know our CEO, Bruce Willson, as we are both Rotarians.
Q: If you could tell someone who doesn’t know about the United Way one thing about our organization, what would it be?
The one thing I think is most important about what we do is how we provide funds to organizations that are doing great work with a low profile. We have some tremendous service-minded people in our area who are addressing needs, but are doing so with limited resources. By partnering with these smaller nonprofits we help provide stability and allow them the opportunity to expand the scope of their work.
Q: If you could change one thing in this community, what would it be?
Raise our community self-esteem. I often hear things about Shreveport-Bossier that are negative, but for me I feel it is a region with amazing qualities. Faithful and generous people live and work here. It’s a family-friendly community with a kind soul and bountiful spirit.
We have great economic promise here, but I think we are too humble about letting the world know just what those opportunities are. We need to brag a little more, thump our chest a little more, sing our own praises a little more. We have great transportation infrastructure, low cost real estate, higher education, superb health care, and plenty of recreational opportunities. If we can truly get our act together, the possibilities are endless.