New YLS Chair: Whitney Pino

Get to know Whitney Pino, Van Meter, 2018 YLS Chair.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I would consider myself a native Cedar Rapidian. I graduated from Kennedy High School, and then attended Iowa State, where I earned a BS in International Business and Marketing. Recently, I completed graduate studies from the University of Iowa, making me a proud CyHawk!

My husband, Roberto, and I have been married for nearly 11 years and have two spunky children. Lorenzo (10) loves basketball, anything that might potentially annoy his sister, and comedy. Gianna (9) is spunky, fun loving, and a true definition of “mini me.”

What's your favorite part of working in the Corridor?

I love the corridor and there is so much to offer. For me, 2008 was a defining year for our community. Our area was hit hard by the floods, but we came back stronger. We continue to make the corridor a place where people want to live, work, and play.

I was fortunate to spend my early career working for a great local transportation company, CRST Logistics. My knowledge from CRST allowed me to change careers and work for another amazing company in the corridor, Van Meter Inc. Van Meter has taught me that when you create a culture of ownership and give employees the right tools, incredible things happen. You might not think trucking or distribution are the most glamourous career choices, but they are dynamic and exciting, and give me the opportunity to grow and do great things.

What is a fun fact about you?

• I love BINGO. The thrill of potentially winning $25 and being able to yell BINGO gets me excited. I tend to chat with my neighbors and don’t realize I am a winner until a ball or two later, forcing me to share the winning pot with others. This is just one of the challenges a social butterfly faces.
• I am able to jump rope more than 200 times in about 60 seconds. It's harder than it sounds!
• I never have fewer than 10 coupons or gift cards in my purse.
• I love to travel and have visited 10+ countries. We are currently planning our next family adventure to Peru.

Why did you decide to get involved with United Way and YLS?

As chair, I would love to see local companies champion United Way leadership societies during their annual campaign, specifically YLS. YLS donors know they will help at least one young reader in our community with their contribution, and they can see funds in action during family-friendly volunteering efforts or farmer market book giveaway events.

Young Leaders Society reinforces all the great things about our community. This community gave me the opportunity to succeed and created a great place for my husband and I to raise our family. As a donor myself, if I have a little bit of extra money or time, I want to put it to great use, and United Way makes that easy for me. Our youth are the future of this community, and I believe in giving them the tools they need to succeed.