United Way of King County recently announced that it has named Catherine Cushinberry, PhD, a highly accomplished nonprofit leader and former Chief Executive Officer for Hopelink, as its new interim CEO. Dr. Cushinberry began her tenure last Tuesday. Here is a guest blog post from Dr. Cushinberry.

Hello again, Pacific Northwest, specifically King County! What an honor it is to join the United Way of King County as its Interim CEO. The opportunity to partner with this well-established, much-needed organization and support this team as it transitions and prepares for its next CEO is a dream.

When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2021, one of the first executives to welcome me to the area was Gordon McHenry, Jr., United Way’s former president and CEO, who recently stepped down from the latter role. It was during the pandemic, so we had a virtual conversation. Gordon welcomed me to the area and provided some insight into working in and with this community.

I am grateful for the legacy Gordon has established; it is one that I get to build on with this team and board.

In this role as interim, and in prior roles as an interim, my desire always is to create a lovely runway for the next executive. I want the next executive to walk right in and get to work. My purpose and joy over the next few months will be working with this talented team and board to navigate this time of transition with compassion, transparency, and clarity.

I want to welcome everyone reading this blog to the journey.

 I know when people hear “interim” they may think “place holder”. That’s not what I’m here to do. My desire is to maximize this time on behalf of so many in the community who rely on the services and resources of the United Way by inviting everyone to lean in with me, with us, to more than keep the work going, but to propel it forward.

Let’s work to create an even healthier community and partnership engagement, culture, and fundraising environment than exists now. In my mind, the goal is that when the new CEO is selected, that person is welcomed to a space that is ready for them to skyrocket upwards in partnership with all of you.

I’m looking forward to meeting the staff and board, learning about the services, and spending time in the community with partners and the incredible community members we proudly serve. I also look forward to enjoying the beautiful weather, natural wonders, and events in the area.