It wasn't long ago that the United Way of Bucks County was fighting declining dontions & participation, but that all changed in 2012 when Jamie Haddon became CEO. In just one year, he helped turnaround the organization, with a 23% increase in overall income, led by a 13% increase in donations.
Jamie works each and every day to clear the path for locals to achieve better lives- through quality education, stable incomes, and good health. His recent initiative, Bucks Knocks Out Hunger, provided 100,000 meals, 10,000 lbs of fruits and vegetables, and hundreds of pounds of meat to Bucks food pantries.
His work doesn't stop at the United Way, though; Jamie serves on the Board of Bucks County Boy Scouts of America, is active at Doylestown United Methodist, and is a volunteer firefighter.
In between his jam-packed schedule, Jamie answered a few questions about what it's like being one of Bucks County's Biggest Movers & Shakers:
BH: What motivates you every morning?
JH: The passion and drive of my staff at the United Way of Bucks County!
BH: Where did you go for school?
JH: Hatboro Horsham High School, Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Management from Delaware Valley College and a Masters Degree in Management from St. Josephs University
BH: What’s your idea of a perfect day?
JH: Starting the business day early with a breakfast meeting in one end of the county followed by steady meetings throughout Bucks County. The perfect ending each day is sitting at the dinner table with my family and sharing how our it went.
BH: Who do you look up to?
JH: I look up to my wife, my parents and grandparents. They have each struggled at different times through life to provide for their family but they are never too busy to not lend a hand in helping others.
BH: How did you decide to work at the United Way?
JH: It chose me and I am fortunate enough to have gotten out of the way to let it happen.
BH: Which achievement are you most proud of?
JH: I am so very proud that UWBucks has positioned itself as a leader in non-profit technology, marketing and social media. Holding events that our Twitter Army has brought awareness to and trended #7 and #4 in the world. Integrating our new website and blog with other external sites giving our corporate and nonprofit stakeholders an opportunity to shine their best practices which is also shared in our new 90+ page annual report and magazine. Lastly we are all quite proud of our new mobile device app www.uwbucks.org which lists every non-profit in Bucks County, the services they provide and how to contact them.
BH: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
JH: That UWBucks helps over 92,000 people every year, that’s more than 1 in 10 Bucks Countians and no one knows. Spreading our story is our challenge, getting people to Give, Advocate and Volunteer through UWBucks. If everyone did a little, it would become a lot!
BH: What is the biggest thing that you’d like to achieve over the next 5 years?
JH: That has to do with my #1 job, being the best husband and father that my capabilities will provide. I want to support my wonderful wife Michele in raising two outstanding young men in our sons Cole and Finnegan and our beautiful daughter Sydney. Using my parents example, my job won’t be done until the four of them reach their full potential and change the world in the way I know they can.
BH: How do you think your friends & coworkers would describe you?
JH: Long boring embellishing (but passionate) storyteller, gregarious and hopefully a good human being that is a family man that cares about others.
BH: Where’s your favorite place to be in Bucks?
JH: Downtown Doylestown Borough
BH: If you could go back in time and talk to yourself 10 years ago, what advice would you give?
JH: Have the faith that there is an ultimate plan and allow his will to be done by doing nothing different.
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