YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Brandi VanAntwerp has been involved with United Way of the Ozarks in some form for more than a decade, whether that’s as a donor, volunteer or as a representative of a grant recipient, so she sees her selection in 2024 as president and CEO of the organization as a natural extension of her career.
“It has been a really fun opportunity for me,” says VanAntwerp, who succeeded Greg Burris as president and CEO in the summer. “It’s a really great opportunity to get involved in this way, to be actually working with the team.”
Prior to taking on the leadership post at United Way, VanAntwerp served as executive director of Foster Adopt Connect Inc. She was one of more than 100 applicants and five finalists vying to succeed Burris.
As United Way’s CEO, VanAntwerp leads an organization with an operating budget of roughly $2 million and 10 full- and part-time employees. United Way is in the midst of its 2024-25 community campaign, which has a goal to raise $2 million by March 31, 2025. The 2023-24 campaign raised $1.94 million, she says.
With fundraising ongoing, VanAntwerp says she has enjoyed helping oversee the community campaign – Brent Baldwin of Commerce Bank and Grenita Lathan of Springfield Public Schools are the campaign co-chairs – that involves a variety of workplaces coming together to support a common goal to impact positive local change.
“It instills a lot of hope in me when I see the folks that are coming from so many different industries and so many different backgrounds who are all so equally excited,” VanAntwerp says.
On an organizational level, United Way is working to establish a new strategic plan that would see the nonprofit through the next couple years.
“I am looking forward to new strategic planning, including lots of interaction with stakeholders,” VanAntwerp says. “The last strategic plan was right around COVID and, we all know, environments change.”
As United Way of the Ozarks moves toward its 95th anniversary in October 2025, VanAntwerp says her goals include strengthening the nonprofit’s veterans and cancer patient funds, as well as creating an affinity group “to help with other gaps and barriers within our community.”
In the first quarter of 2025, United Way of the Ozarks will be working on a small-scale rebrand that includes color changes and other refreshed elements as part of its affiliation with United Way Worldwide, VanAntwerp says.
Removal of access points would hinder growth, they say, as highway department points to safety concerns, freeway considerations.