(Greater Kansas City)---After an eight-month, nationwide search, United Way of Greater Kansas City’s (UWGKC) Board of Trustees has hired its first permanent President and CEO.  Brent Stewart has           22 years of nonprofit/United Way experience and a track record of success wherever he has been. Stewart is an innovative community leader, with an extensive background in nonprofit management, strategic planning, resource development and community partnerships.

Stewart comes to Kansas City from Portland, Oregon, where he has served as President/CEO of the United Way of Columbia-Willamette for the past four years.   In Portland he led an organization that increased revenue more than 20% in three years, redesigned its resource investment approach and worked to build coalitions with dozens of community partners.  Stewart’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in regional planning.

Prior to leading the United Way in Portland, Stewart headed the United Way in Everett, Washington, and Battle Creek, Michigan.  In each of those communities he was known for working with community partners in creating strategic plans that helped those United Ways become more effective in addressing and solving community problems.   Stewart was selected from a field of 75 candidates.  The candidates included both local and national executives with experience leading for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Peggy Dunn, UWGKC Board Chair said, “I am confident that our region will embrace Brent Stewart as our new CEO and welcome him as he takes the helm at this historic time.  He brings an extraordinary passion and demonstrated success to United Way’s mission of mobilizing the caring power of communities to improve people’s lives.  As our first permanent CEO, he will play a pivotal role in helping shape our Community Impact Agenda and his leadership will be crucial as we strive to reach our long-range community goal of raising $50 million annually within five years.”   

UWGKC Vice-Chair Donald Hall, Jr., who headed the search committee said, “There was a great amount of interest from some very, very impressive candidates.  The finalists met with more than 40 business, civic and nonprofit community leaders, responding to specific questions about what they would do to solve real issues facing our community.   Mr. Stewart’s answers were creative, focused and concrete.  His outstanding track record of building successful partnerships to tackle community issues was an important factor in selecting him to lead our United Way.”

Stewart will replace Susan Stanton, who has been serving as interim president and CEO since April 2007, when Bi-County United Way, Heart of America United Way (including Northland United Way Services) and United Way of Johnson County merged into one organization, the United Way of Greater Kansas City (UWGKC).   Since the merger, UWGKC volunteers raised a record $40.4 million and began work on creating a Community Impact Agenda that will serve as a strategic plan to guide the investment of United Way resources.   Stewart will officially begin his new duties as UWGKC President and CEO on April 1, 2008, after completing several pending projects at the United Way in Portland.