April 4, 2011
Dear Partner,
The Board of Directors of the YWCA Omaha is excited to inform you that the agency has transitioned from an affiliate of the national YWCA to a fully independent, local agency with a new name-Women's Center for Advancement (WCA) on April 1, 2011. Our official public announcements begin on Monday, April 4, 2011.
The YWCA Board of Directors spent much of the past several years looking seriously at how to best serve the local community, and, along with that, what role it's national YWCA affiliation plays. With the full support of all community stakeholders including the United Way, corporate supporters, private donors and long time patrons, it was determined that the local organization would be more effective operating as an independent agency, focused on local needs and solutions.
We respect the YWCA and greatly value our long association. However, our mission is different, and our focus is local. Further, the financial and resource commitment necessary to maintain our affiliation took focus and dollars away from our community.
While we have a new name, our trusted programs are firmly in place. We remain a United Way agency and serve more than 20,000 community residents each year through our agency based programs, crisis hotline, workshops, as well as school based, shelter based and outreach services. We will remain at our current location at 222 South 29th Street.
To better reflect our local mission of helping women and their families build lives of strength, growth and self-sufficiency, we have adopted a new, vibrant and more inclusive identity. Our new agency now fully reflects the broad spectrum of programs and services offered with the goal of helping our clients from all walks of life and in various stages of transition and growth, advance toward personal, social and economic success.
Currently, the agency is best known for its crisis and safety net services. Our Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (DVSA) program provides a full range of services for victims including a 24-hour hotline, advocacy, counseling and legal services for safety and healing to clients in their time of greatest need. Our DVSA program will continue to grow with the Women's Center for Advancement just as it has for the last 25 years.
We've also placed a greater emphasis on our Education and Prevention Services for youth as well as adult men and women. Our revitalized and expandedTransitions economic and career advancement program provides tools and resources for clients to shape their future following a separation, divorce, death of a loved one, or as they enter or return to the workforce. Our new Bridges to Opportunity program takes a multi-agency, individualized approach to assist our clients in their efforts to remove the barriers to self-sufficiency, and our upcoming Connections program willprovide avenues for women from all walks of life to connect with other women through enrichment classes, special events and mentoring.
As the agency evolves, the Women's Center for Advancement will continue to develop and expand programs that help women and their families live safely, and grow confidently. You have been a valued partner of our organization. We want to reassure you that we will continue to provide the same quality, caring service that you have come to expect. We are proud of our programs, our staff, and the many volunteers who help us on a daily basis and we are excited about the future of our organization. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Sandy Parker
Board Chair
Dr. Natalia Peart
President and CEO
2011 Women's Center for Advancement Board of Directors
Sandy Parker Board Chair Community Volunteer
Jane Rogers Vice-Chair Director, Pinnacle Bank
Amee Zetzman Treasurer CFO, All Makes Office Equipment
Pamela Hernandez Secretary Exec. VP, Woodmen of the World
Jane Alseth Associate General Counsel, Tenaska
Bob Bertrand Employment Attorney
Dr. John Christensen Chancellor, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Melanie Morrissey Clark President, Clark Creative Group
Olivia Crimiel-Minor Diversity & Compliance Manager, BoysTown
Bob Culver VP of Business Strategy & Learning,
Lincoln Financial Group
Amy Deardorff Community Volunteer
Mikki Frost Dir. Community Benefit and Healthier Comm.,
Alegent Health
Lorin Galvin (ex-officio) Dir., Douglas Cnty District Court Conciliation &
Mediation
Freddie Gray OPS School Board/Learning Community Board
Jim Grotrian Exec. VP, Metro Community College
Jennifer Hamann AVP Investor Relations, Union Pacific
Dr. Bill Kathrien Co-owner, Family Dental Care Group
Deb Keating VP/Exec. Dir. FNNCDC, First National Bank
Dr. Sue Korth VP & COO, Methodist Womens Hospital
Gary Lebens Assistant Treasurer, Valmont Industries, Inc.
Kathy Martin Community Volunteer
Diana Mehochko President, TSYS Merchant Soultions
Steve Olsen Exec. Vice President, Enterprise Bank
Kathy Olson VP Communications & Pr, Mutual of Omaha
Dr. Magda Peck Prof./Assoc. Dean Public Health Practice UNMC
Marty Ricks Exec. Director,
Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation
Sharon Saltzman Senior VP Internal Operations,
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Jeff Sharp Principal, SilverStone Group
Charlie Sullivan President, Sullivan Homes
Jeff Toberer Partner, Stinson Morrison Hecker
Kristin Williams Dir. Of Community Initiatives, Sherwood Foundation
Ellen Wright Grant Writer
Susie Zindel Community Volunteer
Dr. Natalia Peart President/CEO, Women's Center for Advancement
Advisory Council Members
Brenda Council Nebraska State Senator
Freddie Gray OPS School Board/Learning Community Board
Alex Hayes Police Chief, Omaha Police Dept.
John Hildenbiddle Senior VP Brand Management & PR, Mutual of Omaha
Chris Jerram (ex-officio) Omaha City Councilmember
Jack Koraleski Executive VP, Marketing and Sales, Union Pacific
Emily Cunningham Kozlik Former YWCA Exec. Dir. 1978-1999
Susan Lebens Retired, VP Mutual of Omaha
Jane Rips Community Volunteer
Charles Venditte Investigator, Douglas County Attorney
Gail Walling Yanney, M.D. Community Volunteer
Lyn Wallin Ziegenbein Executive Director, Peter Kiewit Foundation
