SIDNEY — Tom Martin, Shelby County United Way 2015 Campaign chairman, has finalized the volunteer team to lead the 58th annual United Way fall campaign. The theme this year is “We’re Better Together” with a goal of $1,325,000. Tom Martin, Mike Lochard, Large Manufacturing Division leader, and Scott Barr, executive director of the Shelby County United Way, have begun the process of making CEO visits to Shelby County companies. Martin has many returning division leaders for this year’s campaign.
Martin is the owner and president of Sidney Body CARSTAR and Troy Body CARSTAR. Martin is involved in many community organizations which include; past board president of the Sidney-Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Sidney Vespa Quarterback Club, past treasurer of the Sidney Music Boosters to name a few. Martin is a board member of United Way partner agency Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby and Darke County.
The Large Manufacturing Division will be led by Mike Lochard, president of Lochard, Inc. Lochard chaired the successful 2013 United Way Campaign which surpassed the goal of $1,300,000. This will be his second year chairing the Large Manufacturing Division.
Lochard will be assisted by Tim Bickel, Lighting Specialist at Dickman Supply. Bickel is a former administrator and teacher for Sidney City Schools and volunteering in his fourth campaign.
The Small Manufacturing Division will be led this year by Rob Zielsdorf, vice president of Sales and Marketing at FDL Automation. This will be Zielsdorf’s first year as a division leader.
The Service Division will be chaired by Mark and Sandi Shipman. Mark is the Distribution Manager at Amos Media. This will be Mark’s sixth year to serve in a leadership role in our United Way campaign. Sandi is a realtor for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. This will be Sandi’s fifth year serving on the United Way campaign.
The Retail Division will be chaired by Jackie Davis, who is the vice president of Retail Banking at Mutual Federal Savings Bank and is serving her second year on the Board of Trustees of the Shelby County United Way. She is the Board’s treasurer and chairs the Promoting Health and Well Being Allocation Team. This is Davis’s second year serving as the Retail Division Chair.
Volunteering to serve his first year as the division deader for the Professional Division is Aaron Lowe, who is an attorney for Elsass, Wallace, Evans, & Schnelle. He currently serves as a board member/trustee for Samaritan Works, a United Way partner agency.
The Health Care Division will again be co-led by John R. Eve, vice president of Human Resources, Education and Support Services at Wilson Health, and David Andrick, director of Physician Recruitment for Wilson Health. Both Eve and Andrick will be participating in their seventh Shelby County United Way campaign.
Kelly Holthaus will again lead the City Employee’s campaign. Holthaus is serving her fourth year in a campaign leadership role. She is the human resources coordinator for the city of Sidney.
The County Public Service Division this year will be co-chaired by Kathy Lindsey and Bob Guillozet. Lindsey serves as executive director of New Choices and previously was director of Shelby County Victims Services, both programs assisted by United Way funding. This is the fifth year Lindsey has served as a division leader and will be joined by Shelby County Commissioner Bob Guillozet, serving on his first Shelby County United Way campaign.
The Education Division will be co-chaired by Tiffany (Wildermuth) Rank, Sidney City Schools communications coordinator, and Heather O’Donnell, Midwest Regional Educational Service Center superintendent. Rank is serving on her third campaign. This is O’Donnell’s ninth campaign for the Shelby County United Way. She will be assisted by Amy Simindinger, Juvenile Court Liaison for the ESC, who is serving on her fourth United Way campaign. O’Donnell and Simindinger will be leading the county segment of the Education Division while Rank is responsible for the Sidney City Schools campaign.
Nancy Stiefel will chair the Nonprofit Division for this year’s campaign. She will be serving on her third campaign. She is employed by Shelby County DD as director of both the Wee School and Wilma Valentine Childcare. WVC is another program which benefits from Shelby County United Way funding. Stiefel currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Shelby County United Way and serves on the Events and Activities Committee and the Caring for People in Crisis Allocation Team.
The Special Gifts and Retirees Division will be led by Jayne Smith. This is Smith’s fifth year being a division leader in our campaign. The Cornerstone Society Leadership Giving Division will be led by Nicole Switzer, who is participating in her second campaign leading this division. Both Smith and Switzer are employees of the Shelby County United Way.
Coordinating all internal activities for the campaign at the Shelby County United Way is Lois Ann Kerns, director of Finance and Administration. Kerns is participating in her 16th campaign.
The 2015 campaign kick-off luncheon will be held on Sept. 10 at 11:30 a.m. at the Palazzo in Botkins, and the public is invited to attend. There is no charge for the luncheon and reservations are not needed. The campaign will continue through the finale celebration on Nov. 5 at 11:30 a.m. at the American Legion.
The mission statement of the Shelby County United Way is to identify, evaluate, and make possible human services to Shelby County residents. For more information on the Shelby County United Way go to the website www.shelbycounitedway.org or the Shelby County United Way Facebook page.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
