Anyone familiar with United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) probably knows that our credo is to fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. While addressing health and education are more tangible concepts, financial stability can be harder to grasp – especially in terms of its importance to our community as a whole.
To Greg King, UWCA’s 2020 Campaign Chair and Executive Vice President of IBERIABANK, financial stability is integral to the community on both a small and large scale.
“The root of a prosperous community is the ability of individuals and families to reach financial stability,” said King. “That looks different for every family but benefits the community in so many ways by lifting the bar on educational opportunities, job placement and readiness and the overall health of the economy.”
He believes the road to individual financial stability starts on a small scale. Something as simple as taking advantage of UWCA’s Free Tax Preparation Program, for example, can actually be life-changing.
“When you come in and look at your entire financial picture with an eye toward taxes, there are so many things that pop up that come out of that discussion related to someone’s overall financial stability,” said King. “Through that process, you can identify any issues and then connect with UWCA’s direct services or partner agencies to deal with them.”
This pattern is mirrored in King’s own personal relationship with United Way. He became a donor early in his career at AmSouth Bank, which inspired him to get more involved in the community by serving on the boards of UWCA partner agencies Pathways and Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts. These experiences showed him the amazing impact United Way has on the community, and he was asked to join the UWCA Board of Directors in 2012. UWCA was quick to capitalize on King’s financial expertise, asking him to join the Financial Stability Committee of the Bold Goals Coalition, a forward-looking initiative spearheaded by United Way composed of 200 organizations solving big community problems by aligning partners, resources and agendas.
“My journey with United Way has been fun because I’ve seen a lot of different levels,” said King. “I’ve been able to see how all the components of United Way work together to support the broader community.”
All of this work comes together this year as he serves UWCA in the most significant capacity yet: 2020 Campaign Chair. “I’m terribly excited to jump into this new role,” he said. “The community has been overwhelmingly philanthropic over the years, and United Way of Central Alabama’s campaign is a great example of collaboration across the community.”