Following the resignation earlier this week of president Kathy Plomin, the United Way of the Bluegrass has named Sarah Mills as it's interim-president.
Mills, who is of counsel with the law firm Stoll Keenon Ogden, is a long-time United Way volunteer and is serves on the executive committee of the United Way of the Bluegrass Board of Directors, according to an email from board president Laura Voss.
Mills will split time between the United Way and her law practice while a national search is conducted to find Plomin's permanent replacement.
Plomin had been with the United Way of the Bluegrass for nine years as its president.
Also last week the United Way laid off four of its employees while a fifth who will not be replaced resigned according to it's board's treasurer Lindy Karns.
"Much like any other organization or business here in the Bluegrass that we were responding to our current financial picture," she said
Karns said the down economy has caused a 4 percent drop in pledges while workplace campaign giving has gone down as well. "Many of our donations come on payroll reduction - people sign up to have it taken out of their payroll check - we were concerned over the long term about potential layoffs," affecting those who had opted for pay check reductions.
The United Way of the Bluegrass relies " significantly (on) work place giving campaign and if there are changes in the workplace then there are changes in contributions," she said, though that decrease is not the lone driver.
Karns said the United Way board is budgeting for a decrease in workplace giving that would make the overall decrease in contributions 9.39 percent.
Among the cuts as a part of the layoffs was the United Way's Gifts In Kind program in which mostly corporate donors could give items rather than funds. The program has been transitioned to the Cristian Application Project which is affiliated with the same overarching group that the Gifts In Kind program dealt with.
"The need is so great and people have stepped up pretty well, but you have got to budget responsibly and be sure that there is money there for the people that really need it," she said.
While Plomin's resignation and the layoffs came in quick succession, Karns said they are in no way related.