J. Gordon Cooney, Jr. and Christopher L. Bruner to lead 2012 United Way Campaign

PHILADELPHIA, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania has announced that J. Gordon Cooney, Jr., managing partner of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP's Philadelphia office, has accepted the role of its 2012-2013 Campaign Chair. Cooney's vice chair is Christopher L. Bruner, managing partner of Ernst & Young, LLP's Philadelphia office. The two will be responsible for leading United Way's Campaign Cabinet, a high-level group of corporate and community leaders from throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. These volunteers champion in every sector of the region, raising money to support programs that help children succeed in school, families become financially stable and older adults thrive.

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Effective July 1, 2012, Cooney will take the helm from Mary Stengel Austen, chair of the 2011 campaign, which is currently in progress. Cooney became a member of United Way's Campaign Cabinet in 2007 and has been serving as vice chair since July 1, 2011. A member of United Way's Board of Directors, Cooney is also a member of the US Lacrosse Foundation's board and is board chair of the Gesu School and Rosemont School of the Holy Child. Cooney is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is listed in the Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. He resides in Newtown Square.

Bruner, who will assume chairmanship of the Cabinet in 2013, has served on United Way's Campaign Cabinet since 2009. Having spent more than 25 years with Ernst & Young, Bruner has extensive experience in serving public companies and working with clients backed by private equity.  In addition to his role as a member of United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania's Board of Directors, Bruner serves on boards for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, CEO Council for Growth, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, where he serves as treasurer and chair of the Finance and Audit committees. He resides in Radnor with his wife and two daughters.

"Chris and I look forward to building on the success generated by the Campaign Cabinet under the leadership of Mary Stengel Austen," Cooney said. "The United Way's annual campaign creates opportunities to have a profound impact on our community, by supporting proven programs that give countless individuals access to services and skills that can dramatically improve their quality of life."

Jill M. Michal, president & CEO of United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, is confident the Campaign Cabinet will continue to yield great results under the leadership of Cooney and Bruner.

"Both Gordon and Chris have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to United Way and the millions of people we serve each year," Michal said. "Their professional accomplishments over the years will clearly be a benefit as they lead our Cabinet in reaching new milestones, but their passion for helping others will be an inspiration to their peers and thousands of others who understand the important role United Way plays in driving lasting change throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. "

About United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania

United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania is part of a national network of more than 1,300 locally governed organizations that work to create lasting positive changes in communities and in people's lives. United Way engages the community to identify the underlying causes of the most significant local issues, develops strategies and pulls together financial and human resources to address them, and measure the results. United Way is advancing the common good in southeastern Pennsylvania by focusing on education for children, income for families and health for seniors. For more information about United Way, please visit: www.LIVEUNITEDsepa.org.

SOURCE United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania