A nonprofit’s strength is the community that supports it. Donors, advocates and volunteers are its beating heart. At the United Way of Yavapai County (UWYC), we are grateful to everyone who Shows Up United, including our amazing Board of Directors.
One of our most recent additions to the board is Scott Lewis, a senior lecturer and administrator with the Strategic Leadership Program at Northern Arizona University. This program, offered statewide, is unique in that its students tend to already be in the workplace and are looking to hone their skills as leaders and managers.
“In a nutshell, we designed it to provide students with the mindset, behavior and tools that every great leader needs to succeed today,” Scott said.
One of his students was UWYC Finance & Community Investment Manager Nina Seim, which led to Scott taking material from his classes and distilled it into a workshop offered for the UWYC’s Center for Organizational Excellence and ultimately to an invitation to join the board.
“I was drawn to United Way because I know what they do in the community, the impact they make,” Scott said. “The beautiful thing is that when you support the United Way, you know it’s local and it’s effective. You can see it from the list of organizations they support.”
Scott graduated from San Diego State University and also has an MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. After years in the corporate world, including posts with Toyota and Transamerica Life Insurance, he shifted gears, earning his teaching credentials and becoming a high school business teacher.
The draw to education was two-fold. He wanted to share his expertise and real-world knowledge with students, but teaching also allowed him more time with his family. Scott and wife Mayumi have two college-age sons and a 12-year-old daughter.
After leaving southern California, the family spent several years in northern Idaho and moved to Prescott in 2011. In addition to bringing the family closer to Scott’s father, it gave his sons better opportunities to pursue their passion for golf.
The entire family is committed to volunteering in the community, including at their church and Special Olympic golf, where the family has coached for several years. Scott said he is very happy to add the United Way to his volunteer duties.
“It’s a joy to be with these people – board and staff,” he said. “Everyone is here for one reason – they truly want to see great success for our nonprofits. Every nonprofit starts with a purpose, to fill a need. We get to help with that, and that’s pretty darn cool.”
