Kim Sport, Founding Chair of the Women’s Leadership Council and current Katrina Recovery Chair, attended the National Women’s Leadership Council of United Way of America’s Summit on Women in Philanthropy in San Antonio last month. The summit featured learning labs and various speakers, including successful women leaders and representatives from United Way of America. The attendees focused on ways to improve their individual women’s groups.

Sport gave a presentation to the Summit attendees entitled, “Katrina: What Remains After the Cameras Leave.”  In her presentation, Sport addressed the role of United Way for the GNO Area since the storm.

“United Way first responder agencies were on the ground providing services as Katrina came ashore, and United Way personnel were in the Emergency Operations Center as part of the city’s Disaster Response Steering Committee,” mentioned Sport during her speech.

Sport also discussed the evolution of United Way for the GNOA in the aftermath of Katrina, which involved the need to meet shifting priorities with unprecedented services.

“People’s lives have been turned upside down – our goal at United Way is to help them meet their basic needs while maintaining their dignity, and to assist them in re-building their lives, while maintaining their sanity.  The recovery process for the Greater New Orleans Area will take between 10-20 years. Our work has never been more important.”

The 2007 United Way Summit on Women in Philanthropy was designed for all volunteers and staff from United Ways with existing or aspiring Women’s Leadership Councils to educate participants on United Way’s most promising practices in community building, relationship management and resource development; engage women as philanthropic leaders, community advocates and financial investors in social change for good; and empower Women’s Leadership Councils to be one of United Way’s drivers of sustained impact and growth in local communities.

In addition to the many wonderful things Kim has done for the New Orleans Community, she has also been invited to serve a three-year term on the National Women’s Leadership Council.

As a member of UWA’s National WLC, Sport will have a leadership role that will position United Way as the premier vehicle for engaging women as philanthropists, inspire women to make a difference in resource development, leadership, and advocacy, and launch additional WLCs in the United Way movement and strengthen those that currently exist.