BECAUSE OF YOU

Right place, right time for LMAUW executive director

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY & PHOTO BY KENNETH BOONE

Ayear has passed since Courtney Layfield stepped into the executive director position at Lake Martin Area United Way. Though she’s thankful for the support of her predecessor, Sharon Fuller, she’s eager to put her own spin on the position. Combining the old with the new is Layfield’s forte, and with a year already under her belt, the nonprofit is moving forward as Layfield leads the way.

Through her new position as executive director, Layfield has had to learn a lot of new things about United Way and the relationship it has with the community.

“I have had to learn relationships with our donors, workplaces and our agencies on a different level and develop relationships with each one myself. I’ve had to learn how our local United Way fits with the United Way World brand and the perceptions of each. Thankfully, this local United Way has a long history of support from the community, and I want to continue that. I want to help educate the public more on what we do, how we help the community and how they can play a part, too,” Layfield explained.

Originally from Atlanta, Layfield found her way to the Lake Martin area in 2015 with her husband of 16 years, DJ, and her son, David, 14. Before becoming involved with United Way after the move, Layfield was still working for the Georgia Dental Association, which she had been part of for 13 years.

“My husband had actually volunteered with United Way. He had worked on some of the Day of Action projects because the company he works for encourages volunteerism. When I was looking for a job locally, I came into United Way, really with the intent of just volunteering and getting my foot in the door. I wanted to get established in the community and meet more people, and there just happened to be a job position open. It was the right-place, right-time kind of thing,” Layfield explained.

Before taking on the role as executive director, Layfield spent five years as the organization’s marketing and initiatives director. According to Layfield, despite so many community members being involved, only three people have active, everyday roles in the LMAUW office.

With her new position, Layfield hopes to reach an even bigger audience within the community through the experience and first-hand knowledge she’s gathered since joining the staff.

“Obviously, I would like to see us grow in the number of lives we can touch and help every year. I’d also like to see us grow the campaign because the more we bring in, the more we can do. It’s certainly been tough as we’ve been recovering from the pandemic. There’s been challenges with that. We want to increase the awareness about United Way and the services that we and our partner agencies provide to the community,” Layfield said.

Layfield believes the impact of what LMAUW does in the community is sometimes lost in communication. She hopes to not only raise awareness of available services, but also to let community members know that there’s an active United Way organization in the area willing to step up and help when needed.

“We’re more than just a fundraising organization, we do a lot of things outside of fundraising that I want people to be aware of,” Layfield explained.

United Way is currently hard at work on the 2023 campaign. The theme of the ongoing campaign is “Because of You.” Organization members, including Layfield, are talking to businesses and other organizations about how businesses and individuals could help the organization make progress through donations.

“Luckily, this year it’s been great. We’ve been able to get out to a lot more workplaces to do the workplace campaigns and talk to employees, show our video, more of that personal touch than we’ve been able to do the last couple of years due to the pandemic,” Layfield said.

She is thankful for the opportunity to get back out in the community and reconnect with people through her first year as executive director. Building new relationships and building upon existing relationships is very important to her as she continues to explore her new position with United Way.

“Stepping in after a very successful person before me with big shoes to fill was intimidating at first. I decided early on to keep things going as they had been and look at ways to make it work best for me as time went on. I’m trying to put my stamp and my voice on our United Way while honoring those that built it before me,” Layfield said.

To learn more about United Way or Layfield and the rest of the team, visit the Lake Martin Area United Way at 17 Main St. in downtown Alexander City or call 256-329-3600. Layfield can be reached directly at courtney.layfield@ unitedwaylakemartin.org.

Making a Difference

Courtney Layfield puts her own spin on the executive director's role at Lake Martin Area United Way.