JACKSON – Bethany Stutzman has been named Senior Director of Community Impact for UWSCMI. The long-time Jackson resident will also serve as site leader at UWSCMI’s Jackson office.
Stutzman previously served as Director of Community Impact, overseeing United Way’s impact work in Jackson County. She joined United Way of Jackson County in 2005, where her leadership has included Community Solutions and the local Chief Operating Officer.
“I love the opportunity to make a difference in my community,” Stutzman said. “I’m a strong believer that you can do a lot more together. In this kind of role, I get to work with a lot of great community partners to change lives in Jackson County.”
Stutzman grew up in East Lansing. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications at Spring Arbor University, and a Master’s degree in social work at Western Michigan University. Stutzman interned at UWJC during her graduate studies before joining the organization. She is married to Jeff Stutzman, owner of Virtue Drums in Jackson, and the couple have two children.
In her new role, Stutzman will continue providing key leadership in local grassroots partnerships; programs that help ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) individuals, such as utility aid through the Program Assistance Center; and other initiatives addressing financial stability and equity needs in Jackson County. Stutzman also brings important expertise for similar work across UWSCMI’s six-county region.
As site leader, Stutzman takes over for Ken Toll, who recently left UWSCMI for a new position with the Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute. You can watch a Feb. 14 video interview of Stutzman and Toll on JTV’s “The Bart Hawley Show” by clicking here.
“I’m really looking forward to being out in the community more, to talk with more people and to continue to make more connections,” she said. “One of our most important roles as United Way is to be a connector in our community, so I’ll be out there more than ever to help build those relationships.”
Bethany Stutzman (center), newly appointed Senior Director of Community Impact, joins former UWSCMI Chief Operations Officer Ken Toll (left) on JTV’s “The Bart Hawley Show” on Feb. 14.
