Moving Forward with Clear Values: A Message from UWBA’s New CEO

The end of the year naturally draws us toward reflection – a time to look back at the path we’ve traveled and plan for the journey ahead. As we close out an intense election season, many in our community are asking, “Where do we go from here?” At United Way Bay Area, while the landscape around us may shift, our vision is clear: we’re working toward an equitable Bay Area where everyone has the opportunities and resources needed to thrive. I’m deeply grateful to be joining this remarkable organization as CEO at such a critical moment, and I want to share with our community the kind of leader I intend to be.

My journey to this role has been shaped by a lifetime of experiences in community service. For the past twelve years, I’ve had the privilege of serving United Way of Santa Cruz County, including six years as CEO, where we focused intensively on youth well-being. But my connection to the United Way runs much deeper – back to when I was a young girl in South Central Los Angeles, where my parents enrolled me in the United Way after-school enrichment program.

It was in that program where my core values began to take root – dignity, integrity, compassion, and justice. It’s there where I also started to develop my own sense of self and confidence. I still smile thinking about the confident fifth-grader who shook President Bush’s hand and told him I could take his job one day. That confidence came from somewhere – from my parents, guiding lights in our community who showed me what values-driven leadership looks like. They taught me that true leadership means serving others with compassion and dignity and becoming a trusted resource in your community.

At United Way Bay Area, we’ve never wavered in our commitment to break the cycle of poverty in our region. The SparkPoint program, our cornerstone poverty-fighting initiative, is on more college campuses than ever before. Students work one-on-one with financial coaches to reach their financial and career goals while ensuring their basic needs are met.

We’re also pioneering new approaches to fighting poverty – like our recently launched direct cash pilot program in Alameda County, where 100 households will receive a total of $1,800,000 in direct cash assistance over the next 18 months.

Our 211 service remains a lifeline for our community. In six of our eight counties, highly trained staff are available 24/7, 365 days a year, providing real-time assistance in over 200 languages. When one-third of California families are struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, 211 connects our Bay Area neighbors to emergency housing, food pantries, legal assistance, and other critical resources.

As I step into this role, I carry forward the lessons my parents taught me about aligning personal values with organizational mission. I show up each day committed to dignity, integrity, compassion, justice, and to UWBA’s vision of addressing the community’s most pressing needs.

I hope everyone in our community can find some rest this holiday season. And when we return in the new year, I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with you as we keep fighting for a Bay Area where every neighbor has the opportunities and resources they need to thrive. Because as we charge ahead, we know that now more than ever, United is the Way.
Keisha Browder CEO, United Way Bay Area

Keisha Browder CEO, United Way Bay Area