Want to serve on a board but aren’t sure of the responsibilities or skills you need?
Join United Way Young Leaders Society‘s Board Orientation & Leadership Development (BOLD) to learn more about board service, receive training, and find organizations with board or committee opportunities that match your skills and passions! This educational series was created to equip emerging leaders with the skills needed to serve on boards, increase the diversity of boards across Linn County, and support local employers in engaging and retaining talented employees.
NEW: One of the core goals behind the BOLD program is to increase the breadth and diversity of volunteer leadership within our communities. To be inclusive is to leverage diversity by bringing together unique individual backgrounds to collectively, individually, and more effectively address the issues facing our communities. In keeping with this principal, United Way of East Central Iowa and the Cedar Rapids NAACP have partnered to provide scholarships to up to four BOLD applicants that are part of diverse communities, such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA, people with disabilities, and other groups who are made to feel like they do not belong. This information will be kept confidential to the selection committee and will not be used without permission. Information about applying for the scholarship can be found within the BOLD application.
BOLD Series Details
- BOLD features six 90-minute workshops February-June about the skills or responsibilities related to board service.
- The 2020-2021 BOLD series costs $100. There will be no refunds of the program expense.
- Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the training sessions.
- To graduate, participants are required to attend at least five of the six regular sessions.
BOLD applications for the 2021 cohort have closed. If you have any questions, please contact Arthur Kim at arthur.kim@uweci.org.
- Aaron Baumert, BankIowa
- Kim Bormann, Aegon
- Warren Bynoe, Great Western
- Matt Carlisle, CRBT
- Nick Clasen, Ohnward Bank
- Whitney Cook, Kirkwood
- Megan Duffy, Mercy Medical
- Amanda Ehlers, Mount Mercy University
- Mary Griffin, Horizons
- Nora Heaton*, Riverview Center
- Courtney Janssen, TrueNorth
- Kaitlin Johnson-Boyse, Collins Aerospace
- Todd Joslin, Hills Bank
- Derek Kemble, CRBT
- Nakita Mauer*, Neighborhood Finance Corporation
- Allison Nissen, UFG
- Dan O’Neil, General Mills
- Josh Putz, Collins Aerospace
- Angel Ramirez*, NAACP
- Courtney Squires, Greatamerica
- Clay Swanson, TrueNorth
- Nick Thibault, TrueNorth
- Claire Tupper, Catherine McAuley Center
- Harold Walehwa*, Advocates for Social Justice
- Jon Watson, RSM
*recipients of the scholarship in partnership with NAACP.
- Tyler Auman, Principal Financial
- Sophia Arias, TrueNorth
- Abby Bachman, Raining Rose
- Tyler Balkman, Collins Aerospace
- Tessa Bendlage, Lil Drug
- Lynette Bordignon, Circle Computer Resources
- Sydney Carpintero, Tanager Place
- Yvette Clapp, Hibu
- Emma Conroy, McGrath
- Dylan Cooley, CRGCF
- Kelley Ferrell, Collins Community Credit Union
- Nick Hatz, Shive Hattery
- Nicole Hubbell, Collins Aerospace
- Allie Jackson, CRBT
- Jared Jirak, Holmes Murphy
- Lisa Martino, Farmers State Bank
- Dave Panos, Shive Hattery
- Kara Park, University of Iowa
- Kristin Parrott, Bankers Trust
- Ashley Persig, American Heart Association
- Jacob Pipkin, TrueNorth
- Rachel Rigdon, Holmes Murphy
- Lucy Schneekloth, Transmaerica
- Nicole Schroeder, Wired Production Group
- Laura Van Buer, Coe College

- Brittany Appleton, Waypoint
- Tyler Bruzek, World Class Industries
- Elizabeth Cepeda, Collins Aerospace
- Leah Coffman, Linn County
- Isaiah Corbin, Mercy Medical Center
- Caleb Dutzer, Advancement Resources
- Emily Ehrhardt, Coe College
- Julia Erickson, CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank
- Meryn Fluker, Transamerica
- Paul Gaylord, FusionFarm
- Korey Grow, Securian Advisors
- Michelle Gruis, Holmes Murphy
- Whitney Kraus, UFG
- George Mahoney, Collins Aerospace
- Jessica Mattes, University of Iowa
- Jenny Mertes, Van Meter
- Kristin Miller, BMO
- Bobbi O’Connell, Collins Aerospace
- Jessica Pfeiffer, Aging Services
- Kayla Phelan, Phelans Interiors
- Julie Sigwarth, Grant Wood AEA
- Robert Teller, Collins Aerospace
- Kyle Walker, VGM Homelink
- Kate Weber, Van Meter
- Taylor Westaby, Garnett Place Retirement Community
- Emily Wright, Transamerica