Jannah Bailey Named River Region United Way President and CEO
New leadership is coming to the River Region United Way which serves more than 40 charity partners in five counties.
The first woman will take on the role of President and CEO in the midst of what has been one of the hardest seasons for charities and fundraisers. According to a survey done by LendingTree, 56% of Americans donated to charity in 2021. That’s down 14% from pre-pandemic levels.
Amidst this decrease, a new era is coming for the River Region United Way that serves 42 organizations in the community. Jannah Bailey will take the roll of President and CEO in March.
“I have a long history of being a part of United Way agencies, and I recognize the importance of this agency in our community,” Bailey said.
Bailey, a Montgomery native, has spent at least 25 years working for non-profits including the Red Cross and the Child Protect Advocacy Center. Among other accomplishments, Bailey is an active member of the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary, a graduate of Leadership Montgomery and Leadership Alabama, and represents District 5 on the Montgomery County Board of Education.
She wants to bring new energy to the organization with hopes of it becoming a community hub for area nonprofits to collaborate, share resources, and address critical problems
“We want to be a community united way,” Bailey said. “We want people to come, stop by, and ask questions about what we do.”
Bailey will continue implementing a new strategic vision to meet the health, education, financial stability, and basic needs of the River Region.
“I’m a beginner at this but this staff that’s here is amazing.” I’ve already had the opportunity to meet with them and hear their ideas, and they’re already blowing it out of the water.”
She hopes to support our community organizations as we move out of the pandemic.
“As we move into this, we’ve got to strengthen our communities. We’ve got to do it in a very defined way. I’m big into people talking, networking, collaborating, and figuring out how we can do it best.”
Bailey will officially join the United Way on March 1. She succeeds Ron Simmons. Simmons was recently named the new Chief Officer, Destination and Community Development, at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
