History of United Way of Citrus County

1984- A young girl was stricken with cancer and the family incurred major medical bills at Citrus Memorial Hospital. After the Chronicle ran a story on her plight, the community came together to raise funds to help pay some of the expenses. A golf tournament was organized and approximately $40,000.00 was raised for her medical care. One of organizer, who was a new to the community, disappeared with the $40,000.00. The community was angry and discussed ways to help each other in time of need and not worry about money being stolen.

 

1985- After several years of discussion, Wilson Burns, local community leader, approached the Citrus County Chronicle and suggested that the community form a local United Way to address health and human care issues in the county. Mr. Burns had set up a United Way in Rock Island County, IL. seventeen years prior.

 

On Wednesday, December 4, 1985 the following list of community leaders met in the Citrus County Courthouse to form a local United Way: Gerry Mulligan of the Citrus Chronicle; Mary England of Mid-State Federal Savings and Loan; Wayne Weaver of Floral City; Curtis L. Tyree, Jr. of Goldome Savings Bank; Virgil Price of The Tampa Tribune; Anne Pope of the St. Petersburg Times; James Kellner of Holder; Inverness Mayor O.J. Humphries; Karen Johnson, chairman of the School Board; James D. Mackey of First Florida Bank; John S. Vincelli of the state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services in Inverness; Rusty Harry of the county’s civil defense office; Sylvia Wilson of Beverly Hills; Dick Malmad of Florida Power Corporation; Chuck Blasband of Citrus Memorial Hospital; Owen Mann of Sugarmill Woods; Maj. Coley Campbell of the Sheriff’s Office;  Bill Brockman of Seven Rivers Community Hospital; Lt. Col. Berrisford “Berry” H. Walker (US Army/Retired), professor of social studies at Central Florida Community College; Brad Cole of Barnett Bank of Citrus County; and Wilson P. Burns of Sugarmill Woods.

 

Crystal River lawyer George H. “Dutch” Anderson and Inverness lawyer Cliff Travis volunteer to draft the local United Way’s bylaws and register it as a non-profit.

 

1986- United Way is incorporated by the State of Florida on May 12, 1986.  Wilson Burns elected as the founding President of United Way of Citrus County Board of Directors; Col. Berry Walker elected Vice-President; Brad Cole, treasurer, and Gerry Mulligan, secretary. Board votes on Campaign Goal of $110,000.00.  First Campaign Chair was Steve Lamb who raised $160,000.00.

 

United Way of Citrus County applies for its IRS 501(c)(3) on September 29, 1986. For tax deduction reasons, United Way of Citrus County operates under the umbrella of United Way of Florida and United Way of America until the IRS 501 (c)(3) is approved for the local United Way.

 

Eleven agencies are selected by the board of directors to receive the first funding from United Way of Citrus County Campaign: Boy Scouts, CASA, Childhood Development Services, Children’s Home Society, American Red Cross, Citrus Day Care, Deaf Services, Girl Scouts, Hospice of Citrus County, Key Training Center and Salvation Army.

 

1987- United Way of Citrus County receives approval as an IRS 501(c)(3) effective September 1, 1987. Wilson Burns re-elected as Board President of the Board and Jean Grant elected as Campaign Chair and raises $275,000.00.

 

1988- Steve Lamb, owner of several local car dealerships, elected as President of the Board and Campaign Chair Bob England raises $285,000.00. First paid staff, Debbie Lewis, was hired with the title of Secretary.

 

1989- Steve Lamb is re-elected as President of the Board and Campaign Chairman Alan Chatman, manager of Citrus 95 radio station, raises $325,000.00.

 

Wilson Burns, founding father of Citrus County’s United Way, suffers a heart attack on August 30th. United Way President Steve Lamb reported that the 78-year-old resident of Sugarmill Woods will remain in intensive care for 2-3 days. “Without Wilson’s guidance, we would have never been able to establish our United Way in the successful fashion that we did”, Lamb said to the Chronicle.

 

Secretary Debbie Lewis promoted to Executive Secretary.

 

1990- Gerry Mulligan, Chronicle newspaper publisher, elected as President of the Board and Board selects campaign goal of $335,000.00. Campaign Chairwoman Marge Dearborn raises $365,000.00.

 

Executive Secretary Debbie Lewis resigns. Dawn Arline, legal secretary to attorney Michael Mountjoy, hired as the second Executive Secretary.

 

Key Training Center provides free office space to United Way of Citrus County in a classroom on their campus.

1991- Gerry Mulligan re-elected as Board President. With a campaign goal of $375,000.00, Campaign Chairwoman Jane Harling raises $378,760.00.

 

1992- Tommy Thomas, local businessman, elected as Board President. Campaign goal selected as $400,000.00 and Campaign Chairman, Del Wiggins, raises $413,021.00.

 

William Aramony resigns as president of United Way of America as a result of an investigative report on governance and internal financial controls. United Way of Citrus County votes to reduce the dues to UWA this year.

 

1993- Jean Grant, Citrus County Commissioner, elected as Board President. Charles E. Davis, funeral home owner, is voted Campaign Chair and campaign goal of $425,000.00 is selected. Community raises $345,005.00 and misses goal. Board votes to dip into reserves to maintain same level of funding to agencies.

 

United Way of Citrus County reduced it dues to United Way of America for the second year.

 

1994- Jean Grant is re-elected as Board President. Dora Hunt selected as Campaign Chair and matches the $385,000.00 goal that was established. Reserves are again tapped to level funding to agencies and for operation of United Way.

 

1995- Dora Hunt, financial head for Nick Nichols Ford, elected President of the Board. Campaign goal selected for $390,000.00 and Campaign Chairman Ben Branch, local banker, raises $409,177.00. Reserves continue to be tapped.

 

United Way of Citrus County awarded “Outstanding Community Organization Award” by the Chamber of Commerce.

 

1996- Ben Branch, local banker, is elected as President of the Board of Directors. Campaign Chair Mark Jacobs of the WYKE Key Training Center raises $427,437.00 with a goal of $415,000.00.  Reserves are again dipped into to provide funding to the agencies.

 

1997- Charles Visalli, healthcare administrator at the Brown Psychiatric Hospital, is elected President of the Board and also serves as Campaign Chair. With a board goal of $425,000.00, Mr. Visalli and community raises $476,788.00.

 

1998- Charles Visalli re-elected President of the Board and Gerry Mulligan is selected as Campaign Chairman. Mr. Mulligan and community raise $615,056 with a goal of $500,000.00.

 

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) awards United Way of Citrus County the “Silver Quill Award of Excellence” for the campaign video “Reach for the Stars”. 

 

1999- John Marmish, healthcare executive at Citrus Memorial Hospital, is elected President of the Board of Directors and a goal of $625,000.00 is selected. Campaign Chairwoman Katie Lucas and community raise $581,950.00.

 

2000- John Piersall, local insurance representative, is elected President of the Board with no Campaign Chair selected. United Way staff conducts campaign with a goal of $575,000.00 and raises $577,193.00.00.

2001- Arthur Rubin, a respiratory therapist at Citrus Memorial Hospital, is elected President with no Campaign Chair selected. With a goal of $600,000.00 the United Way staff raises $626,000.00.

2002- Arthur Rubin is re-elected President of the Board with no Campaign Chair selected. $700,000.00 is selected as goal and $655,352.00 is raised by the United Way staff.

 

Dawn Arline is terminated as Executive Director after serving 13 years. Patricia Brinker-Walker, United Way board member, volunteers to serve as interim executive director, until a search committee is able to interview and select a new executive director.

 

2003- Alan Jefferson, Crystal River Methodist minister, is elected President of the Board. Katie Lucas is again selected as Campaign Chair with a $700,000.00 goal. $455,215.00 is raised and agencies are reduced in funding. 

 

John Marmish, board member, former healthcare executive at Citrus Memorial Hospital and retired Air Force officer, is hired as Executive Director. Mr. Marmish joins 2 other staff members.

 

Loaned Executive Program is established for the first time to assist with the annual community campaign. Publix Supermarkets of Homosassa provides Erin McNamara, as the first Loaned Associate. This position is also shared with the United Way of Hernando County.

 

2004- Alan Jefferson is re-elected as Board President and David Arthurs, former Chronicle Publisher and owner of a travel agency, is selected as Campaign Chair. With a board goal of $650,000.00, Mr. Arthurs raises $595,459.00.

 

50 Leadership Givers (donors at the $1,000.00 or higher level) is attained with $62,708.00 donated at this level of giving.

 

Kristin Nolan of Publix Supermarket of Homosassa is selected to be the Loaned Associate for the campaigns in Citrus County and the position is shared with the United Way of Hernando County.

 

The 3 stand-alone donated personal computers are networked with a fourth donated stand-alone computer so that the office staff can share files online.

 

United Way buys QuickBooks software for improving the preparation of the financial statements. Previously, financials were prepared on spread sheets and campaign donations were tracked with 3 x 5 cards.

 

John Marmish and Lisa Morris, board member and employee of Progress Energy, introduce Outcome Measurements to the agencies and this analysis becomes a part of the allocation process. United Way of Citrus County is the first United Way in the region to use Outcome Measurements for the community to see improvements in the health and human service work efforts.

 

Key Training Center provides United Way new office space on Hwy. 44. Progress Energy donates money for highway sign for United Way.

 

2005- Katie Lucas, marketing manager for local air conditioning company, elected President of the Board and Susan Gill, Supervisor of Elections, selected as Campaign Chair. With a goal of $600,000.00, Ms. Gill and community raise $621,655.00.

 

$88,084.00 is raised from 69 Leadership Givers.

 

Kristin Nolan of the Publix Supermarket of Spring Hill is again selected as the Loan Associate for Citrus County and the United Way of Hernando County.

 

2-1-1 service was established for Citrus County with United Way being the contract administrator and fiscal agent. Partnership with Shared Service Alliance, Citrus County Board of Commissioners and United Way formed to establish service. County Commissioners provide annual funding of $30,000.00. 2-1-1 Advisory Board established with local community leaders serving on the Advisory Board. The 2-1-1 Advisory Board is used as a national model.

2006- Katie Lucas re-elected as President.  Janice Warren, Tax Collector, selected for Campaign Chairwoman. Board votes for $600,000.00 goal and Mrs. Warren and community receive $618,000.00.00 in contributions.

 

74 Leadership Givers at the $1,000.00 level or higher is attained with $99,592.00 donated.

 

Brittany Tyler is selected as the Loaned Associate from Publix Supermarket of Homosassa and is shared with the United Way of Hernando County.

 

Donation Tracker software is purchased to track campaign donations and pledges. Donation Tracker is paid from a grant from Capital City Bank Foundation for $6,000.00.

 

April, 2006 the first Community Needs Assessment conducted from a $12,000.00 grant from Progress Energy. Top two needs identified for the community were lack of affordable housing and the high cost of medications. Local partnerships were formed to work these two critical issues.

 

2007- Don Taylor, Controller at Progress Energy, elected as President. Sandra “Sam” Himmel, Superintendent of Schools, selected as Campaign Chair with a goal of $600,000.00. $725,553.00 is raised by the community.

 

83 Leadership Givers and $112,811.00 is donated.

 

This new high in campaign contributions was made possible by the 1200 temporary employees of Zachry Industrial, Inc. This company has a 3-year contract to build scrubbers for the nuclear plant at Progress Energy. 

 

 

 

Amanda Quinn is selected as the Publix Loaned Associate and is shared with United Ways of Citrus County, Hernando County and Pasco County.

 

The office computer network server is upgraded from the donated computer to a true   server.

 

United Way forms a partnership with Withlacoochee Technical Institute to identify deserving families to receive a student repaired car/van.

 

United Way works with local partners and County Commissioners to identify land available for affordable housing. 

 

United Way works with Health Department and the County to establish a low cost community pharmacy that will serve the underinsured and not-insured citizens in the county.  US Representative Ginny Brown-Waite obtains $142,015.00 in federal money to build the Community Pharmacy and United Way writes the HRSA grant.

 

United Way also works with local partners to build a food distribution center to serve agencies, homeless shelters and churches that have food pantries or soup kitchens.

 

At the 2007 Annual Meeting, the 2006 Spirit of the Community Award is presented for the first time. The Award is to recognize businesses or organizations for improving the lives of people in the community by encouraging volunteerism in their employees, supporting special initiatives and projects, and by hosting a successful employee United Way campaign.

 

Recipients for 2006 Award were Large Business: Publix Supermarkets, Inc.; Small Business: Weber Glass, Inc.; Horizon (Rising Star): Nature Coast Bank; Media: Citrus County Chronicle.

 

2008- Don Taylor is re-elected as Board President. Rocky Hensley of SunTrust Bank is selected as Campaign Chair with $600,000.00 goal. $849,013.00 is raised which is the highest campaign results in the history of United Way of Citrus County. This new high in campaign contributions was made possible by the 1200 temporary employees of Zachry Industrial, Inc. This company had a 3-year contract to build scrubbers for the nuclear plant at Progress Energy. 

 

Leadership Givers number 77 with a total donation of $107,150.00.

 

Anna Sayre is selected as the Publix Loaned Associate and is shared with the United Ways of Citrus, Hernando and Pasco County.

 

United Way wrote a grant to Capital City Bank Foundation for the Community Pharmacy and receives $25,000.00. This money was deposited in the Rotary Foundation of Crystal River for the Community Foundation.  

 

Great Recession begins. Some banks are merging and others are taken over by FDIC. United Way Finance Committee decides to move investments out of banks that exceed the FDIC insurance level and spread deposits to more local banks below the level.

 

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is launched in Citrus County in partnership with the Citrus Education Foundation. Over 1200 children in the ages of newborn to age 5 are registered to receive free books each month that are age-specific. Funding to support this effort exceeds $22,000.00. United Way begins paying $3,000.00/year toward the $30,000.00 expense for 2-1-1. County Commissioners levied 10% reduction to all departments and funding sources due to recession and United Way votes to pay this difference to continue the service.

 

At the 2008 Annual Meeting, the Spirit of the Community Award for 2007 was awarded to Large Business: Citrus County Schools; Medium Business; Publix Supermarkets, Inc.; Small Business: Capital City Bank; New Business: Zachry Industrial, Inc.; Organization; Childhood Development Services, Inc.

 

2009- Paul Mellini, bank president/CEO of Nature Coast Bank, is elected President of the Board. County Commissioner, Joe Meek and his wife, Amy, are selected as the first time Campaign Co-Chairpersons. $714,798.00 is donated from the community during the second year of the Great Recession.  

 

74 Leadership Givers with $94,580.00 is obtained.

 

United Way writes a grant to the Arthur B. Fairman Charitable Trust for the Community Pharmacy and is awarded $2,500.00.

 

At the 2009 Annual Meeting, the 2008 Spirit of the Community Award was given to Large Business: Publix Supermarkets, Inc, and Zachry Industrial, Inc.; Service Club/Foundation/Civic Organization: Rotary Clubs of Citrus County.

 

Unemployment in Citrus County is at 14.7%, homes are being foreclosed, families facing hunger, utility bills at an all time high because of the worst winter in decades, and yet Citrus County took courage to give when they did not know what the future would bring. United Way moves more into the social work of helping families with rental assistance, utility assistance and food.

 

United Way office space at the Key Training Center Foundation Building is needed for a consolidation of administrative functions to one building. On December 4, 2009, United Way moves to new offices on the second floor of CenterState Bank in Crystal River. Office space is donated by CenterState Bank with a 3 year lease at no cost.

 

2010- Paul Mellini re-elected as Board President. Kay L. Wilkes selected as Campaign Chair. 

 

At the 2010 Annual Meeting, the 2009 Spirit of the Community Award is given to Large Business: Citrus Memorial Health System and Publix Supermarkets, Inc.; Small Business: Mercantile Bank and Weber Glass, Inc.; Service Club/Foundation/Civic Organization: Rotary Clubs of Citrus County.

 

United Way begins study to go online for agency submission of application for funding. Strategy Planning Committee formed to write plan for Board approval.

 

SunTrust donates office furniture to United Way.

 

2011- Marie Straight, Senior Vice President and Area Manager of SunTrust Banks is elected Board President. Sheriff Jeff Dawsy is selected as Campaign Chair.

At the 2011 Annual Meeting, the 2010 Spirit of the Community Award is given to Large Business: Publix Supermarkets, Citrus Memorial Health System, and Progress Energy. For Small Business the award went to Capital City Bank. The Service Club award was presented to Rotary Clubs of Citrus County.

Capital City Bank Foundation awards $3,700 grant to the United Way to purchase CTK software that will permit online submission of applications for funding and for quarterly updates on budget, outcome measurements and clients served.  Information can then be aggregated by United Way for news media, grants, IRS Form 990 and for reports to the community.

Website is updated in July to acquire more interaction with the public through social media and to educate Citrus County on the three national/local impact areas of Education, Income and Health.

Formation of Impact Councils for Education, Income and Health begins with the goal to write strategies for local organizations to select and be funded for their programs.  This step also moves away from funding just agencies to funding programs that improve the community.  Outcome measurements will be driven by United Way with community input rather than solely agency input of what they would like to do.  

Online submission of quarterly reports from agencies and programs begins with the August 2011 report.

Direct deposits of agency/programs allocations begin with the August allocation.

Jewel and Steve Lamb of Crystal Motors donate a 2012 Chevrolet Corvette to United Way and Black Diamond Foundation to raise money for the respective charities.  The two organizations agree to split the revenue from the sale of $100 tickets.

Community is surveyed for their input on the top social issue needs for the area.  For the first time, free Constant Contact software is used to electronically send the survey to over 800 local residents.  Updates on fundraising events are sent via social media with the ability to purchase event tickets online.   Over 132 paper votes and 100 online votes were received with the following Top Social Needs for 2011 for Education: Providing after-school and mentoring programs for at-risk youth as the #1 need and the #2 need was affordable quality child care.   The Top Social Need for 2011 for Income is basic food need for hungry families.  The #2 need for Income was a tie between affordable housing and job training.  The Top Social Need for 2011 for Health is health insurance and the number #2 need is domestic violence. This information will be provided to the Impact Councils and to the Strategic Planning Committee.