2023 was a year of change at Lubbock Area United Way. We said farewell to Glenn Cochran, who was the President and CEO for 29 years. He led the organization through many transitions and helped Lubbock Area United Way gain all-time-high contributions. With his departure, we welcomed Amanda McAfee as the new President and CEO. Amanda has been a part of United Way since 2017 and has been an enthusiastic advocate of our mission of Giving • People • Hope.

The search committee tasked with hiring a new president unanimously chose Amanda and believes in her capability to lead our organization. I am so grateful to our board and staff who lent stability during our leadership transition. Through that transition, we stayed dedicated to fulfilling our strategic initiatives. In the coming year, we will continue that dedication, service, and investment in our community.

Here’s what you can expect from United Way in 2024: We’re continuing our commitment to our children and the future of our community, by working to increase access to educational programs and materials to promote literacy and educational attainment for people of all ages. We will maintain our focus on kindergarten readiness to ensure every child in the South Plains has a stable educational foundation. We will support local prevention efforts and access to services for victims of child abuse and neglect, sex trafficking, and family violence.

With the help of our Community Partners, we strive to make sure every person feels safe in their home and their community, and when they don’t, that they have resources available to support them. We will continue to advocate for local access to quality mental health services and support. Because mental health is health. Finally, we will continue to progress our
newest strategic initiative, economic mobility— creating opportunities to move households towards financial stability. This is an issue that will affect many in our community and is a foundational issue that impacts our other strategic initiatives. We’re also looking forward to working with our local and state governments, school districts, business owners, and other stakeholders to find creative ways to support economic mobility for all our neighbors on the South Plains.

We’ve got big plans and there will be ways for you to get involved. We’re excited for the future and grateful for your support in 2023. Thank you for Giving • People • Hope through Lubbock Area United Way and our Community Partners.

With gratitude,
Becky Palmer
2023 Board Chair