The United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County (UWOLC) has named Pam Swain its 2019 Board Member of the Year.
Swain, the Senior Vice President at the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce, has been a member of the UWOLC Board of Directors since 2016 and assisted on several community-focused initiatives throughout her term, including service on the fundraiser committee for the inaugural United Way Flashback Bash held in August 2019.
The UWOLC Board of Directors created the Board Member of the Year award earlier this year at the recommendation of UWOLC Board President Ryan Upshaw in order to annually recognize the exemplary service of a selected board member.
“It is always special to recognize the work of people who go above and beyond to serve our community,” Upshaw said. “This award was created to do just that. Pam Swain truly embodies the heart of a community servant through her work with United Way and the many other efforts she is committed to.”
Members of the UWOLC Board of Directors submitted nominations for the award and the organization’s executive committee reviewed the submissions before selecting this year’s recipient.
“We had some outstanding nominees, but our executive committee could not have chosen a better recipient of the first United Way Board Member of the Year honor,” Upshaw said.
In nominating Swain, UWOLC Board Member Doug Odom expressed, “Pam is an incredibly hard worker. The fact that she is able to fully commit to so many difference causes and organizations, all while being such an involved parent, certainly deserves recognition as the 2019 United Way Board Member of the Year.”
Upshaw and UWOLC Executive Director Kurt Brummett made a surprise award presentation to Swain at the December board meeting of the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce thanks to the support of Jon Maynard, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Foundation.
“It is such an honor to be presented with the first ever United Way Board Member of the Year award,” Swain said. “It is my pleasure to work alongside such a hardworking group of individuals who partner together to do good for the people of our community through United Way.
“The United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County takes its commitment to doing good in this community to heart and is a tremendous steward of the funds raised by making sure they go directly to programs that impact the needs of this community.”
About the United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County (www.unitedwayoxfordms.org)
Since its inception in 1970, the United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County (UWOLC) has sought to improve lives and meet community needs by uniting people and resources. To carry out its mission, the UWOLC partners with individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and public entities to make a significant impact throughout Oxford and Lafayette County. The organization focuses its efforts on addressing four interrelated issues (health, education, financial stability, and basic needs) and has invested millions of dollars over the course of its existence to make a meaningful difference within the Lafayette-Oxford-University (LOU) community.
Press release courtesy of United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County
