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The United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN) board of directors is excited to announce that they have selected Meg Louwagie to be the next CEO of the organization. She will begin her career with UWSWMN on May 16, 2022. UWSWMN is looking forward to continued success under the leadership of Louwagie.
In February, UWSWMN Board Chair Terry Kriz of Runnings and Vice-Chair Rachel Nuese of Schwan’s collaborated to create a Transition and Search Committee tasked with finding a replacement for former CEO Sarah Kicmal who submitted her resignation effective April 1, 2022. The committee consisted of current and former board members, as well as former UWSWMN CEO Marcy Heemeyer.
The committee worked together to review a range of job applications, hold virtual interviews, and finally ended with in-person interviews of the final candidates. At the conclusion of this process, it was agreed that Louwagie was the best fit for the CEO position.
Kriz, who served as chair of the search committee, said, “We had a lot of good candidates for the position. Meg Louwagie stood out to the Transition and Search Committee. She is a big supporter of UWSWMN and has a proven track record of fundraising and working with the communities in southwest Minnesota. We think she will bring new and fresh ideas to UWSWMN, and the board is looking forward to her leadership in this role.”
Born in Flint, Michigan, then moving at a young age to Minnesota, Louwagie grew up in a Northern Minneapolis suburb. After graduating from Coon Rapids High School, she attended Southwest Minnesota State University, earning a degree in Public Relations. During this time, Louwagie met her husband and they raised three sons on a farm just outside of Marshall. Louwagie has been an active UWSWMN volunteer for several years. She has served on the Power of the Purse committee, been a classroom reader for Read for the Record, and volunteered for the Free Tax Clinic, a UWSWMN community partner program. Prior to coming to UWSWMN, she was a congressional staff member for Congressman Collin C. Peterson.
Louwagie said “I am honored to have been chosen to serve in this position for the United Way. I am excited to combine the commitment and passion I have for community engagement with the mission of the United Way of Southwest Minnesota. I look forward to building and furthering existing relationships with our community partners and organizations, increasing our visibility and programing throughout our service area.”
In its most recent campaign, UWSWMN raised $499,000 to invest in its mission to unite people and resources to improve lives and strengthen communities in southwest Minnesota. These funds will be invested in programs focusing on health, education, financial stability, hunger, and safety & well-being through the communities we serve.
We are excited for Louwagie to begin her tenure as UWSWMN CEO and to begin feeling the impact of her leadership. UWSWMN will continue to invest in programs affecting the lives of people living our service area which includes the following school districts: Canby; Clarkfield, Dawson/Boyd; Echo; Fulda; Hendricks; Ivanhoe; Lake Benton; Lakeview; Lynd; Marshall; Milroy; Minneota; Murray County Central; Russell-Tyler-Ruthton; Tracy Area; Westbrook-Walnut Grove; and Yellow Medicine East.