United Way Announces New Regional Leadership Structure in Southern New Jersey

PHILADELPHIA, March 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) today announced a new leadership structure in Southern New Jersey designed to maximize the organization's ability to improve lives and drive Impact across the region. Leading this integrated team is John Emge as Vice President & Regional Executive Director, Alice Woods as Regional Director of Impact, and Ilise James as Regional Director of Resource Development.  

Design of this regionally integrated structure was led by a committee of volunteers representing each community, and chaired by Mindy Holman, UWGPSNJ's incoming chair of its Regional Board of Directors.

"As a regional organization, we strategically invest our Impact Fund to improve Education, Income and Health for our neighbors in need —and our commitment to each local community remains paramount," said Jim Cawley, President and CEO of UWGPSNJ. "Through a unified regional team, which includes our many dedicated volunteers and talented staff, we are better positioned to deepen our local relevance and drive measurable, lasting Impact that none of us can achieve alone."

Marlton resident John Emge has more than 30 years of United Way experience, working throughout South Jersey and Philadelphia. In that time, he managed fundraising efforts exceeding $35 million and successfully transitioned United Ways in Atlantic and Cape May Counties from pass-through funders to strategic social investors. He played an integral role in UWGPSNJ's 2012 merger, serving as co-chair of the design team.  Now, as part of the organization's Senior Leadership Team, Emge will focus on advancing UWGPSNJ's regional work and galvanizing volunteers to drive Impact forward with shared vision and a cohesive strategy.

Alice Woods, of Absecon, previously served as United Way's Executive Director in Cumberland County; where she successfully transitioned the annual grants process to a more strategic investment model focused on Education, Income and Health. Prior, her work in Atlantic County with United Way included launching the Women's Leadership Initiative to support United Way's early childhood development initiative Success By 6®, which has helped thousands of women access quality pre-natal care and young children build early literacy skills. Woods will leverage her unique understanding of the communities served in Southern New Jersey to foster meaningful partnerships and strategic investments through the Impact Fund that meet local needs.

Ilise James, of Somers Point, spent 22 years in management in the casino industry before joining United Way in Central Maryland. There, as Assistant Director of Development, she increased fundraising as much as 50 percent among the healthcare providers she managed and built up membership in the Alexis De Tocqueville society. In this new position, James expands her development role from Atlantic and Cape May Counties to lead regional efforts in South Jersey to connect more donors with the Impact Fund as means to improve lives and lift entire communities.

For more information about UWGPSNJ's work in each local community, visit www.UnitedForImpact.org

About United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, serving communities in Pennsylvania's Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, and New Jersey's Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May and Cumberland counties, 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 measures the results. United Way is advancing the common good in Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey by positively impacting the lives of people throughout the region in the areas of education, income, and health. For more information about United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey visit www.UnitedForImpact.org.

SOURCE United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey