A day before she received the prestigious Dottie Berger MacKinnon Woman Of Influence Award, Joanne Sullivan graced members and interested attendees at the United Way Suncoast Women United Spring Soiree.
Joanne, the assistant vice president of community engagement for USF Health, arrived at the Exchange Hotel on March 21 with her trademark brand of energy and enthusiasm. A natural extrovert, she found old friends ready to renew relationships and new acquaintances hoping to create fresh connections.
Other luminaries in the room included United Way Suncoast incoming chair Sara Nichols, the chief financial officer for Appspace; Daren Pippio, Raymond James Financial senior vice president; and, of course, United Way Suncoast CEO Jessica Muroff, one of Tampa Bay Business & Wealth magazine’s 2023 businesswomen of the year.
The group notched appetizers and spoke about the issues of the day and the value of lifting each other up.
Women Have Always Been Present
The soiree’s theme aligned with the theme for Women’s History Month: Women Have Always Been Present. That’s certainly true with United Way Suncoast, whose lineage includes having a woman as its first executive director in 1924, and having three women – Muroff, Suzanne McCormick and Diana Baker – serve as the past three CEOs.
Danielle Bartlett, a USF Muma College of Business doctoral degree candidate, came away impressed with the tone and tenor of the gathering.
“Joanne was amazing,” said Danielle, a local entrepreneur attending her first Women United get-together. “The event provided a platform for networking and sharing insights, highlighting the organization’s inclusive approach to community engagement.
The networking opportunities generated by Women United compose a significant part of the leadership group’s efforts, but it’s more than a chance to meet like-minded professional women. Lori Nadglowski, chair of Women United, has designs on strengthening the other aspects of the group. Members are committed to United Way Suncoast’s mission, which includes a focus on early learning, youth success and financial stability.
Lori said she specifically aims to boost the Growth, Giving, Service and Advocacy of Women United.
“Certainly, we want to increase the membership, committee members and awareness of the group,” Lori says. “We want to increase the number of donors who qualify to join. We want to offer volunteer opportunities with United Way partner agencies and we want to support the organization with its local initiatives.”
Promising Start, Brighter Future
This broader commitment is what captured the eye of newcomers like Danielle Bartlett.
“For me, attending the Women United Event hosted by United Way Suncoast was an enriching experience that left a lasting impression,” Danielle said. “I was impressed by United Way Suncoast’s dedication to empowering women and their commitment to positive change within the community.”
We look forward to creating more positive impressions in the month to come. Lori will be meeting with her steering committee in May to map out a series of events for the 2024-25 calendar. We’re looking for a Women United revival in the coming months, because women have always been present with United Way Suncoast.
