Check out the first installment of our new All Day Everyday—Current Staff Spotlight series!
We’re shining a light on current staff at United Way of East Central Iowa (UWECI) to hear what projects they’re working on, what they most enjoy about their jobs, and how they Live United through their work. First up, Abbie Covenah from the Finance & Administration team!
How many years have you been with United Way? What do you do?
I’ve been with UWECI for 13 years and am the Sr. Manager, Operations. I oversee our IT
and facilities work along with a lot of other duties as assigned.
Why do you work for United Way?
Specifically related to my job, I like the variety of work that being at a small non-profit offers me. Every day is different, and I’ve had some pretty cool experiences along the way. The people who work here are passionate about what they do and some of the best human beings on the planet. From an organizational standpoint, I like how we implement change at a macro level. As a geeky numbers person, it just makes sense to me. The way United Way works to create change with metrics to help make informed decisions is smart business.
What are three things you did not know about United Way before you started?
- Our community building work is incredibly interesting. When I started, I designed a lot of online reporting tools for that group, so I needed to have a strong understanding of how everything intersected. I think learning about it in such depth has helped me to appreciate the work our staff does all the more.
- We have our own internal programming. Many people think of us as collaborators and funders, but we also provide resources like the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
- In addition to learning about UWECI, working here gave me the perfect introduction to this community. When I started my job, I had just moved to Iowa from the east coast. UWECI gave me a lot of insight on our area non-profits and business. It introduced me to people who enjoy volunteering and who value this area and the people in it.
What are two things you are proud of accomplishing during your time here?
- After the flood in 2008, I’ve worked to make us [our staff] extremely mobile. Our building is located in between the NewBo district and downtown and for business continuity reasons, we needed to make sure we could pick up and go pretty easily. I had always imagined that during a flood, this would be important. However, it’s been a public health crisis that ultimately made these changes so critical.
- Our Human Services Campus is an amazing resource for local non-profits. A handful of local donors and a state grant provided us the resources for the facility and now, we are able to offer non-profits a safe, low-cost, professional office space in the downtown area.
What is one thing you are working towards now?
It seems early, but I’m gearing up for our fall campaign season. As many of us are working from home, our campaign season will utilize more technology solutions than ever before.
