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V O L . X X V N O. X V I I A U G U S T 5 , 2 0 1 9 32 "She called me back and offered me a job as senior vice president of resource development," she recalls. She moved up to chief advancement officer and eventually spent six years at the United Way of Central Iowa. A return to Maine Fast forward to the July 4 th weekend of 2014, visiting her parents, who were now living in Concord, Mass., she heard that Suzanne McCormick, CEO of the United Way of Greater Portland, was planning to leave her post. (After five years at United Way Suncoast in Tampa, Fla., McCormick is now U.S. president of United Way Worldwide.) Cotter Schlax leaped at the opportunity to return to Maine. "I guarantee you I was the first to apply. No one worked harder to get that job," she says. By fall of 2014, she and her family were buying a house in Yarmouth and moving their two girls into schools here. She says by then the tide was shift- ing for nonprofits across the country. "Fundraising was starting to slip," she says. "It was a national trend." e United Way traditionally works B2B, working with businesses to set up employees with payroll deduction donations. But the United Way was not as effective at getting donations directly from individuals, and Cotter Schlax said that needed to be addressed, in part with better strategic planning to encompass giving from individuals and larger donors, like foundations. To hone its focus, the United Way in Central Iowa had adopted a long-term strategic plan to zero in on certain goals. Even as she made her bid for the top post at the United Way of Greater Portland, Cotter Schlax laid out a similar vision. She sought consensus from the board, suggesting a course of action. After get- ting hired, "I went out to meet with 80 to 90 donors," she says, again laying out a vision that included change. After holding 90 community "con- versations," meeting with some 2,000 community members, the program she and the staff and volunteers developed was rive 2027. It is a plan to focus on early childhood education, measur- ing third grade reading scores; enable families to thrive, improving household income; and helping people live longer, healthier lives, measuring preventable premature deaths. "United Way volunteers make deci- sions, they help deliver on the mission," she says. P e t e r Va n A l l e n , M a i n e b i z e d i to r, c a n be r e a ch e d a t p vanal l e n @ mainebiz.biz and @ MainebizEditor » C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 3 0 FAST access to project funding. CONFIDENCE to meet deadlines. RELATIONSHIP you and your clients can count on. Rehab & Renovation Real Estate Development Construction Loans Maine Capital Group provides single-source lending and strategic advisory services for small to mid-sized financing opportunities in the residential and commercial real estate markets. www.mainecapitalgroup.com Mike Lyden: 207.329.2177 / mlyden@mainecapitalgroup.com Russ Oakes: 207.352.5609 / roakes@mainecapitalgroup.com 4 C I T Y C E N T E R , 3 R D F LO O R , P O R T L A N D " Maine Capital Group is the project funding solution I have been hoping to find for years: fast, professional, reliable. I feel like they are a part of my team!" KM — Developer In her own words Did you have a mentor or role model? I've actually been very lucky to have many. But the biggest influences in my life, from whom I've learned the most, have clearly been my parents and siblings. What advice would you give your former self? Don't be too hurried to get to the next stage in life. Deeply appreciate and fully immerse yourself in the stage you're in. What are you reading this summer? Right now I'm reading Melinda Gates' new book, "The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World," with my fantastic book club. I recently finished Michelle Obama's "Becoming" and thoroughly enjoyed it. Who would play you in a movie about your life? Well, if I got to pick, it wouldn't be a movie, it would actually be a compe- tition series, like a combination of "The Amazing Race," because I love international adventure, "Nailed It," because I do not bake at all, and "American Idol," because I love to sing and performing was a big part of the first half of my life. Those are my favorite types of shows. Maybe it would be hosted by Matt Iseman. He seems to have an interesting and varied life, and he seems like a gen- uinely kind person. United Way volunteers make decisions, they help deliver on the mission. — Liz Cotter Schlax sales@JobsInME.com | 877-374-1088 Find your next rock(et) star employee on JobsInME.com • Job Slots • QuickPosts • Email Marketing • Agency Services • Career Fairs

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