United Way elects IU grad as interim director

United Way Community Services of Monroe County has elected an interim executive director for the organization, until a permanent person is found.\nRebecca Beckfield, who completed her graduate studies at IU, accepted the position last month. Board President-elect Ed Gross said he thought Beckfield was a good choice.\n"She is knowledgeable, resourceful and can pull together the committees very well," Gross said. "She knows intimately what each one of those committees are about because she was closely involved in them before."\nBeckfield has been involved with United Way operations since 2000 and first served as campaign director. Two years later, she worked as the community resources director. Her past experience with the organization has helped her with her new job. The main duty for an interim director is to aid the organization in its search for a permanent person to hold the position, Beckfield said. These searches can be time consuming.\n"It can take three to five months to find another director. It might be a national search where we get hundreds of resumes," said Patty Boone, communications director. "The interim is appointed to take over and do what the staff would do. The staff does not have time to do what the executive director does."\nOne of Beckfield's most important tasks is to oversee the overall operation of the United Way. She is responsible for detecting when any particular department needs help, so that all the different parts of the United Way can work together.\n"My job is to see the big picture in the organization ... to see what holes need to be plugged, and what issues need to be addressed," Beckfield said. \nBeckfield also said that one of the main duties of the United Way is to raise funds. One of her priorities, along with all the affiliates of the organization, is to finish up this year's fund-raising campaign.\nThe United Way Community Services organization allocates funds for 23 nonprofit organizations so these member agencies can provide social services for people who need help in the community. This year, the goal is to raise $1.6 million, Boone explained, and then to make sure this money benefits people who need it.\n"We are at about 62 percent of our goal," Boone said.\nLast year, the monetary goal was exceeded. It has been a tough economic year, Boone said; yet, both she and Beckfield are optimistic.\nBeckfield has been attracted to the social services field since she was a child. As a Girl Scout, her eyes were opened to the needs of people in the community. In college, she volunteered for an emergency crisis hotline. She completed her master's degree in public affairs through the SPEA program at IU and specialized in nonprofit management. Once a permanent executive director is found, Beckfield plans to stay true to her interests.\n"I will be looking for another job in the community in a nonprofit organization," Beckfield said. "I want to help people and get involved with a good organization that contributes something to the world, and there are so many different organizations in town that are good." \n-- Contact staff writer Lindsay Lyon at lrlyon@indiana.edu