Leadership at United Way of Southwest Michigan is excited to spotlight two of its management team member whos will be developing their skills in year long programs, partnering with two other entities in the human services sector. The announcement came in a statement from United Way SWM President/CEO Anna Murphy:
Maureen Ovington, Director of Berrien College Access Network—a collective impact effort supported by United Way of Southwest Michigan—was accepted into “SYSTEMNEStS: A Systems Leadership Academy.” Over the next year, as part of the cohort, she will focus on systems-building principles, exchange concrete examples of the ideas in action, and be provided a space to practice these skills. The course is designed to empower experienced collaborative and/or systems leaders to approach and address complex social problems from a systems perspective. This opportunity was made possible by funding from the Michigan College Access Network.
Heather Cole, Director of Advocacy and Public Innovation at United Way of Southwest Michigan, was accepted into the “Collaboration Lab,” a learning experience designed to guide collaborative leaders through a 10-month journey to create healthier communities through cross-sector collaboration. The program is a partnership between the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and Healthy Places By Design. The lab taps current and future leaders’ deepest capacity to be collaborative local change-makers, ones who understand when it’s important to collaborate, why, how, and in what structures. The curriculum equips local leaders to collaborate in fresh new ways in service to lasting systems-change work.
“I am excited to see how these experiences of Heather and Maureen will help to create more change and impact in our communities. What an honor for them to being chosen to lead in these spaces,” said Anna Murphy, President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Michigan.
Cole joined United Way in 2014 as Director of Be Healthy Berrien, a collective impact effort of United Way of Southwest Michigan. UWSM launched its advocacy department in 2020, with Cole as Director. She has facilitated projects aimed at advocating for health policies, building local and statewide partnerships and increasing access to educational opportunities. Cole received her B.S. in Dietetics and M.A. in Health Promotion & Program Management from Central Michigan University. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and has participated in Leadership Training from NovoEd, Teams of Leaders, and the Center for Creative Leadership/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Ovington joined United Way of Southwest Michigan in 2019 as Director of the Berrien College Access Network. For the past four years, Ovington has led a leadership team in Berrien County that focuses on helping to identify and ensure students and returning adults have a plan to be successful after graduation from high school. Berrien CAN believes that every student and adult should have the opportunity to earn a degree or trade credential, and it works with K-12 schools, community colleges, nonprofits, and government agencies to help take a systems, policy, and environments approach to the work it does. Ovington received her B.S. in Integrated Leadership/Business Management from Central Michigan University. She is a Leadership Accelerator graduate in Berrien County and has also completed the “Getting Started Lab” and “Unleashing Impact Lab” from the Harwood Institute.
