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McIntyre, who helped turn around struggling United Way, to retire

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The United Way announced Friday morning that Jane McIntyre, the executive director of the United Way of Central Carolinas, will retire at the end of the 2014 fundraising campaign.

"My gut tells me it is time," she said.

McIntyre was hired five years ago after a scandal involving her predecessor, Gloria Pace King.

Part of her goal in turning around the struggling agency was to reduce expenses, cut staff and strengthen oversight.

"The goal was really to put more money back into the community for people who needed it the most," she said.

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When McIntyre took over in 2009, the United Way's funding had plummeted to $14 million. It is now up to $17 million.

Carson Dean said since McIntyre became executive director, United Way has distributed $83 million in five counties to those in need.

McIntyre, 68, worked with the Board of Directors in 2012 to create a succession plan that is now being implemented.

"When I first joined United Way, I told the board that they had me for three years, maybe four at the most," said McIntyre. "I was having too much fun to let go until now, but with United Way back on solid ground, it's time for me to call it a career. My husband has been retired for seven years, and I'm ready to join him."

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McIntyre originally planned to retire after spending a decade restoring YWCA Central Carolinas from the brink of bankruptcy, but then felt called to lead United Way out of a crisis and the recession. She left YWCA fully secure in its future, and United Way board chair Jennifer Weber noted that McIntyre will leave United Way in the same positive state.

"Jane stayed longer than even our most optimistic board members hoped, and we're grateful that she's remaining through this year's campaign," said Weber. "United Way today is extremely healthy, with a strong foundation and clear momentum. We look forward to making the upcoming campaign a celebration of Jane's successful career."

"For such a petite woman there's going to be awfully big shoes to fill." Dean said.

A search committee and Sockwell Partners will conduct a comprehensive search for the next executive director, considering both local and national candidates, but with emphasis on leaders who already have strong local connections.

Other highlights during McIntyre’s tenure include:

  • Returning United Way's focus to local agency funding, rather than donations that leave the region – only donations to United Way and its local partner agencies are counted toward the annual campaign goal.
  • Conducting United Way's first-ever 5-county community needs assessment, and then tying agency funding decisions to the community priorities identified by that report.
  • Implementing Collective Impact as a strategy to focus on fewer, bigger community goals – such as increasing graduation rates and reducing homelessness – while providing agencies with access to shared data for more effective measurement and increased collaboration.
  • Reducing the number of funded agencies across five counties from 101 at the peak to 82 today, while serving more than 300,000 local neighbors in need every year.
  • Achieving year-over-year growth in traditional pledge donations, and increasing United Way's donor diversity – including reviving the dormant United Way Legacy Society for planned (estate) gifts, and bringing in new grant revenue from outside the market.
  • Completely reconstituting United Way's board of directors, reducing it from 67 board members to a maximum of 24, overhauling United Way's bylaws and procedures, and opening all board meetings to the media and public.
  • Achieving all this while recruiting a new leadership team and continuing United Way's reduction in number of employees and budget – from a peak of over 100 to 49 today, and from $10.5 million at its peak to the current $5.6 million.