Earlier this year, the Unity Foundation’s board was revamped with four new members. The new members are Seth Spencer, Dale Parkison, Stephanie Oberlie, and Laura Francesconi. Each of them came to the board for different reasons and with different backgrounds, but all have the end goal of helping Unity improve La Porte County.
“The Unity Foundation is a receptor of funds to live up to people’s wishes,” said Parkison. “I've had several clients start scholarship funds at Unity to endow future learners in the field or profession that they were in during their lifetime, and so the scholarships have been very important. Unity leadership had the opportunity to buy a piece of land on Pine Lake that is now called Unity Park. So that's an instance where it was something outside of what Unity normally does, but we were the perfect vehicle to make happen. That’s the thing about Unity, it can rise to many different occasions.”
Although each board member is new, they have had an eye on the Foundation, its initiatives, and its successes for years.
“I first became educated about the Unity Foundation during La Porte County Leadership classes in 1999 or 2000,” Francesconi said. “I was intrigued by the mission and remember talking to Maggi Spartz after her presentation to gain further understanding and clarity. My husband and I have donated over the years to various funds through the Unity Foundation, and I assisted in moving the Neil G. Thompson Memorial Scholarship Fund to Unity for investment growth and oversight. I was honored when Maggi approached me earlier this year about considering being a Board member.”
Spencer was drawn to Unity by the Vibrant Communities of La Porte County initiative.
“Vibrant Communities is more or less putting together a plan on what that future looks like and how we get there, and that is an extremely, extremely difficult thing to do,” Spencer said. “In the end, what we have now is an action agenda, which outlines the items that people care about and specific ways to accomplish them. And that is extremely useful for elected officials and non-profits. When you are doing work for the community, you have to know what that community wants and needs.”
Unity has no downtime because all four new board members are proving that they are a great addition. They began contributing immediately and, alongside veteran board members, announced Unity’s Michigan City area teacher grant recipients, the 2022 finalists for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, and $200,000 in community grants.
Even after successes, their eyes are on the future.
“My biggest hope is for Unity to continue growing on the trajectory that it has been on. And, by doing so, that enables Unity to help award more grants, more scholarships, and help more local nonprofits achieve their goals,” Spencer said.
“I hope to exceed goals in the Strategic Plan, see Vibrant Communities goals successfully implemented, and to exceed investment growth plans,” said Francesconi.
No matter the reason each member chose to become a board member, each is proud of Unity’s past and excited to help propel the Unity Foundation into the future.
“I find it an honor to be asked to be on the board and take my duties very, very seriously,” Parkison said. “I look forward to the rest of my time and I hope I can do as well as those that came before me.”
To learn more about the Unity Foundation and its initiatives, check out: https://uflc.net/.