United Way Quad Cities is welcoming a new president and CEO.
The social change organization announced former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Augustana College, Dr. Wendy Hilton-Morrow, as its next leader on Wednesday.
She told WVIK in an interview that her decision to take on the new role was driven by her desire to help nonprofits improve education, financial security, and healthcare.
“And so the opportunity to get to work alongside so many nonprofits and leaders in the Quad Cities to attempt to further move the needle on those issues is so appealing to me,” Hilton-Morrow said.
She currently teaches communication studies and journalism at Augustana College and will retire from the higher education institution at the end of the year as professor emerita.
Hilton-Morrow will be teaching one more term for the college’s prison education program at the East Moline Correctional Center, something she asked United Way to continue, stating it aligns with the nonprofit’s mission.
“[I]t is just so fulfilling because these men take their education so seriously and they want to be measured at the same bar that we measure all of our Augustana students at. And so to see them work so hard under what can be really difficult circumstances, it is just really uplifting to see that.
“And when I applied to United Way Quad Cities, what I actually said was, in our prison education program at Augustana, I get to meet the men where they are as they are trying to better their lives,” Hilton-Morrow said. “But as the quote goes, ’After enough time of pulling people out of the river, let's go upstream and find out why they're falling in.’ And that's a quote from Desmond Tutu. And I think about the work United Way is doing. It's really about going upstream and saying, why are people falling in, and how can we stop them before they do?”
She explained, for instance, ensuring children can read at grade level by the 3rd grade significantly increases their high school graduation rates, financial security and access to healthcare.
“And so getting to work with an organization that is even further upstream in trying to prevent Quad Citizens from falling in the river is just very exciting to me and aligns very much with the work that Augustana is doing as well.”
In a press release, United Way Board Chair Bob Waterman remarked, “Wendy understands that meaningful community change requires both vision and execution. She has spent her career helping people and organizations reach their potential, and she brings the strategic leadership, curiosity, and collaborative spirit our Board was seeking. We weren’t looking for someone simply to maintain what exists. We were looking for someone prepared to lead what comes next. We believe Wendy is that leader.”
Hilton-Morrow will replace Rene Gellerman, who announced her resignation in April.
“No organization succeeds because of one leader, and no community changes because of one organization,” Gellerman said. “Real progress happens when people commit to something bigger than themselves and stay focused on the outcomes that matter most. United Way is well positioned for its future, and Wendy is the right leader to help write it. I couldn’t be more excited for her, for the organization, and for the future of our community.”
Gellerman will remain CEO through the end of August, with Hilton-Morrow taking over September 14th.
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