COVER STORY | LOCAL PROFILE
United Way of Erie County
United Way of Erie County’s Vice Board Chair Lorianne Feltz of Erie Insurance and President Laurie Root and The Erie Community Foundation’s President and Chief Executive Officer Karen Bilowith and Board Chair Deborah Murphy of UBS Financial Services discuss the major initiatives taking place at their organizations, during a meeting at the Erie Club in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania.
Leading the Way
Two of the Region’s Most Influential Nonprofits Embrace New Era of Leadership, Collaboration There’s been a lot of enthusiasm about the revitalization taking place in downtown Erie these days. New businesses. New buildings. New energy. New ideas. But there’s another change under way that is also reason for excitement. At a time when the benefits of diversity — including gender diversity — in the workplace are becoming more widely acknowledged, two of the most influential nonprofit organizations in the northwest Pennsylvania region are embracing a new era of leadership and collaboration. Leading the way are Laurie Root, president of United Way of Erie County, and Karen Bilowith, president and CEO of The Erie Community Foundation (ECF). Both women are respected veterans in the nonprofit sector and share a common goal — to improve the quality of life in the Erie community. As head of United Way since August 2021, Root is a driving force of the local social impact organization, which has generated more than $5 million annually in community investments to break the cycle of poverty and improve the local community. Bilowith, who has led The Erie Community Foundation since October 2021, oversees one of the region’s largest public nonprofits — a
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APRIL 2022 • mbabizmag.com
Laurie Root is the president of United Way of Erie County.
network of 800 charitable endowments that injects more than $21 million annually in support of the Erie region. Root and Bilowith acknowledge that they were both enthusiastic to embark on their new positions as their organizations advance some very important and impactful community initiatives.
Karen Bilowith is the president and CEO of The Erie Community Foundation.
“I’ve made a commitment to the community, and I want to see it through,” explains Root. “I think that the leadership skills and the experience that I bring to this position are what is needed right now for this organization. Our strategy is set, and we are in a position to leverage the impact of that because we have all of the pieces and players in place.” “The Foundation has been doing some innovative and progressive things in terms of helping to partner with businesses and the public sector on the growth that was happening in Erie and building on the momentum,” adds Bilowith, “and I wanted to be able to help bring a new perspective and leadership to that particular emphasis of The Erie Community Foundation.” Indeed, both leaders have the backing of their professional teams and Board members. But they also share a passion for leadership that has been decades in the making.
