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United Way of Frederick County
Working together matters
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Pictured is Rick Weldon, the new UWFC president and CEO.
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Rick Weldon to Head United Way of Frederick County as President & CEO
Employee donations combined with corporate donation total $68,820
April 7th, 2008
FREDERICK, MARYLAND—United Way of Frederick County (UWFC) officially welcomed Richard B. Weldon, Jr. as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer, effective April 8, 2008.
In February, UWFC suffered a tragic loss with the sudden passing of its most recent leader, Bill Kantz. Mr. Kantz served in the president & CEO position for ten months, and was extremely productive during his tenure, according to Pamela Dalton, director of marketing & communications. He brought a wealth of United Way experience to the organization, having previously served 12 years as chief executive officer with three other United Way organizations, she said.
After serving five years as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, Mr. Weldon announced in late January that he would not be seeking reelection of his seat, which represents Legislative District 3B serving primarily southern Frederick and southeastern Washington counties. The legislative session ended at midnight on Monday, April 7. During his time with the Maryland General Assembly, he served as a member of the Health and Government Operations Committee, specializing in health care policy, focusing on health insurance industry regulation and health care service delivery, while providing oversight of Maryland’s $39 billion health care industry. He also served on the Pharmaceuticals Subcommittee and Government Operations Subcommittee.
Before his election to the Maryland General Assembly, he was appointed to serve as a member of the Frederick County Board of Commissioners and served in that capacity from July 2001 until December 2002.
“Rick’s public service tenure has always been marked by his reputation for dealing with citizens, businesses and other government agencies in a fair and balanced manner,” said UWFC chairman of the board, Frederick L. Ridgway, Jr. “While we remain deeply saddened by the loss of Bill Kantz, we are extremely excited to add Rick to our United Way team. We feel fortunate that the timing of Rick’s decision to make a career change coincided with the organization’s needs. We were able to fill this position in a relatively short period of time, which will ensure that the roadmap Bill had developed for our organization’s impact in this community will continue.”
“Rick’s genuine interest in helping people tackle important issues makes him the ideal candidate for this position. His broad knowledge of and commitment to Frederick County, along with his specific knowledge of the human service agencies in Frederick, will be a huge asset to United Way of Frederick County. I have no doubt he will represent our organization well,” he continued.
In addition to his public service, Mr. Weldon was previously employed by The City of Frederick as Chief Operations Officer from 1999-2000 and The City of Brunswick as City Administrator from 1994-1999.
Mr. Weldon recognizes the growing pains UWFC has seen recently. “United Ways across the country are heading in a new and exciting direction. My predecessor’s time came too soon. Bill Kantz had started the process of guiding the board, staff and community partners to help evolve this United Way from a traditional role of distributing funds to a predetermined group of agencies toward a stronger, more collaborative effort. This effort will focus on a solid, comprehensive commitment to identify and solve the community’s most pressing needs,” said Mr. Weldon. “A change of this magnitude requires transparent communication, honest debate, careful fiscal stewardship and the vision to see the whole community.”
“I embark on this new adventure with a renewed sense of urgency fueled by the challenges we face and the opportunities we share. I believe my background in local, county and state government enables me to cross lines and dismantle traditional barriers. United Way of Frederick County’s board of directors comprises people who love this community and desire to leave this place better than they found it. The UWFC staff pours their hearts and souls into this special work every day, and I am honored to join that team,” remarked Mr. Weldon. “I pledge my time, talent and energy in working to make people’s lives better, one at a time, every single day.”
He and his wife, Amy, have been married for 28 years and have two daughters and a son. They welcomed a new grandson in January.
A local, volunteer-managed organization, United Way of Frederick County invests in community impact by supporting programs that assist children and families, provide emergency services, offer health education and serve those with disabilities through its 23 partner agencies. For additional information, call UWFC at 301-663-4231.
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