Louisville, Ky. (February 4, 2021) – Metro United Way (MUW) announces Theresa Reno-Weber’s plan to step down as President and CEO after a successful four-and-a-half-year tenure with the organization.

Since 2017, Reno-Weber has led the organization through a transformative strategic shift while prioritizing community impact and elevating the role of Metro United Way. “I am proud of the work Metro United Way has accomplished and am thankful for the continued dedication and unwavering support of the organization’s staff, board, community partners and more than 40,000 donors,” Reno-Weber said. “I remain wholeheartedly committed to fighting for a better and brighter future for Louisville and our entire community. Having hit the strategic milestones I targeted when I became CEO, I’m excited to pass the torch to another leader to continue this essential work.”

Those milestones included:

• Focusing the organization’s work and investment priorities to align to the most pressing needs of today and catalyzing new, innovative solutions to our community’s most entrenched problems.
• Operationalizing the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion internally and externally.
• Leveraging the United Way’s convening power to better connect individuals in need with the full range of opportunities available in the community.
• Investing in the organization’s ability to collect and evaluate data on community needs and effective interventions and share that information with decision makers.
• Putting the organization on sound financial footing.
• Developing an active public policy agenda that addresses the root causes preventing individuals and families from thriving and creates a more equitable community.

“Theresa came in with a bold vision for what she felt the organization could do and has systematically pursued that vision. On behalf of the board, I want to thank Theresa for her transformational leadership during a pivotal time for our organization and trying time in our community. Her efforts have without a doubt set the organization up for future success,” said Elaine Gravatte, Metro United Way Board Chair and President and COO of DDW The Color House. “Metro United Way has been solving complex community challenges for more than 100 years, and we look forward to identifying the next great individual to lead our organization.”

Over the course of Reno-Weber’s tenure, Metro United Way has

• Revamped its investment process to involve more community voices, more data, and a more flexible funding structure that allows for greater participation by smaller community nonprofits.
• Reversed a 10-year decline in annual revenue, tripled the size of the endowment from $2M in 2017 to over $6M in 2021, secured more than $30M in national grants, including $3M from JP Morgan Chase (one of five winning cities in its inaugural Advancing Cities Challenge which attracted 250+ applicants) and $20M from MacKenzie Scott (one nonprofit out of 6,490 considered nationwide), who recognized the organization’s leadership and commitment to racial equity work.
• Launched United Community, a technology platform and collective effort to connect individuals to needed services and coordinate their care across a network that today includes over 200 participating organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors; this platform has become the backbone for connecting people impacted by the pandemic to housing supports, as well as securing sustainable funding streams after initial philanthropic support.
• Prioritized a Public Policy agenda that supports a more equitable community for all, particularly in the areas of representation, early childcare and education, and criminal justice reform.

The United Way’s ability to collect community data, convene donors, and advocate for the nonprofit community was essential as our community navigated the dual pandemics of 2020. Over the last four years, Metro United Way and Theresa have been repeatedly recognized for helping to shape a new, dynamic model for serving individuals and families with comprehensive supports across the health, education and social service sectors.

With a strong board, staff, brand, relationships, partnerships, donors, volunteers and reputation, MUW is well-positioned for future success.

Metro United Way will now launch a CEO search in pursuit of a diverse group of internal and local candidates. To ensure a smooth transition, a new CEO will be on board before Reno-Weber’s departure on July 30. Reno-Weber will remain a Tocqueville donor, committed to MUW’s mission and will continue to elevate MUW’s work after she leaves. She is looking forward to spending time with her family “refreshing, recharging, and resetting” before looking to her next professional venture.