Barbara Reinertsen, executive director of United Way of Mid Coast Maine, has announced she plans to retire at the end of the year, following 30 years of service to the organization.
Barbara Reinertsen, executive director of United Way of Mid Coast Maine, will retire at the end of 2022 after 30 years with the organization. Photo contributed by United Way of Mid Coast Main Board of Directors
“I feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful job, working with the best people I can imagine,” Reinertsen said in a press release. “I am thankful for all the people in our community who work, give and volunteer to lift each other up. Together they’ve done so much to improve people’s health and financial stability and — a special focus of our United Way’s — give the best start in life to our children.”
Reinertsen joined United Way as campaign and communications director in August 1992 and became executive director in 1999. Previously, she had worked as a congressional press secretary and as a television news reporter and anchor. She has also served on a variety of nonprofit boards, including those of Mid Coast–Parkview Health, Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, the Maine Center for Economic Policy, the Maine Children’s Alliance, the Maine Women’s Lobby, the Maine Women’s Policy Center and 211 Maine.
United Way of Mid Coast Maine serves people throughout Lincoln and Sagadahoc Counties, Brunswick and Harpswell, raising funds for 36 local agencies. Its mission is “to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities.”
“Our United Way has the best partners, supporting workplaces, donors and volunteers — and our board and staff members are second to none,” Reinertsen said. “We’re fortunate to live in such a wonderful Midcoast community, and we’re looking forward to how our United Way can have even greater impact in the future.”
Reinertsen added that “there is much to be done in the next few months before I retire — including this fall’s campaign which we want to be very successful to meet the needs of our friends and neighbors over the coming year.”
United Way’s Board Chair Joel Merry, Sagadahoc County sheriff, said the board is forming a search committee to recruit Reinertsen’s successor as United Way’s executive director.
“We are fortunate to have had Barbara as executive director for the past 23 years,” Merry said. “Her caring and compassionate leadership has helped to improve the lives of many individuals and families in the southern Midcoast area.”
More information on the search for Reinertsen’s successor will be available on the organization’s website, uwmcm.org.
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