As the President of United Way of Southwest Michigan, I get to see United Way at work in people's lives every day. United Way's impact areas of Education, Income, Health and Basic Needs are truly the building blocks for a good life.

Every day I work to make sure United Way is making an impact in our community. I want to see us collaborate with other agencies and bring service providers to the table so that we can serve more people with the dollars available.

But, aside from my job, I'm also a substitute coach for United Way's Girls on the Run program. A tri-athelete myself, I love to work with girls to teach them the importance of healthy lifestyle choices and self-esteem. It's great to see them finish the 5K run at the end of the Girls on the Run program and know that if they can do that, they can do anything!