Dear United Way of Central Alabama Family,
Saturday, we lost one of our longest and most passionate volunteers, Alice McSpadden Williams. She fought a courageous two-year battle with melanoma, and she was not as visible in the building as in past years. But Alice remained engaged as our Board Secretary and advisor on our building projects by phone wherever she was.
Alice became involved with United Way as a teenager in United Way’s Women’s Campaign, going door-to-door to collect donations for what was then called the “Community Chest.” Through that experience, she learned what servant leadership was, and we are fortunate she chose United Way.
She has served United Way for over fifty years in numerous capacities, including as corporate secretary and on the Executive, Finance, Planned Giving, and Building Renovation Committees. Alice was elected Chair of the Board of United Way in 1992, becoming the first female chair and also part of the first father-daughter legacy as she followed her late father, Jack McSpadden, in the role. She was honored by United Way in 2001 with the Tocqueville Society Annual Award and then again when the main conference room on the 5th Floor was named in her honor.
She was a special advisor and mentor to me. To others, she was one of those special volunteers who would ask about your family and often shared pictures from her latest safari. When her red pickup truck was parked in the front lot, you appreciated the time and dedication she had for this organization.
I don’t know how she balanced everything, but her time, talent, and treasure was spread throughout the Birmingham area. We are honored that United Way was at the top of her list. I’m enclosing a link to her obituary so you can read about this remarkable woman. We will miss her physical presence, but she leaves behind a legacy and spirit that will be with us always.
Drew Langloh
President and CEO
United Way of Central Alabama