At the annual meeting of its board of directors, Northwest Suburban United Way elected a new slate of officers for fiscal year 2007-2008. Taking over as President of the organization is Michael S. Abruzzini, President of Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust; 1st Vice-President, Gregory Guarrine, Superintendent of Prospect Heights School District 23; 2nd Vice-President; James Tansor, Nicor; Treasurer, Gary A. Cueno, JP Morgan; Secretary, Susan Bondy, Schwarz Supply Source.

Abruzzini has been a United Way donor since 1980 when he began his career at Continental Bank. A member of the Northwest Suburban United Way board since 2004, he is looking forward to his tenure as President of an organization which plays such a vital role in the community.

“I feel privileged to be associated with the many generous volunteers who give of their time and talent,” Abruzzini stated. “United Way provides the leadership and resources it takes to help people overcome life’s challenges and become independent.”

Abruzzini is one of twenty-five board members who put their strong commitment to community to work by volunteering with United Way, an organization which has been an integral part of the Chicagoland area for 75 years. United Way volunteers work to improve lives by assessing the needs of each community then funding a network of programs to address those needs. If no programs exist, new initiatives are launched to fill those gaps.

According to Abruzzini, United Way plays a critical role in the community. After the government, United Way is the leading funder of the health and human services, providing the largest source of unrestricted funds. United Way supported programs help our neighbors, or our families, cope in the face of unexpected crisis, keep our youth in school and on track for success, help the working poor remain self-sufficient and care for their families, and so much more.

But Abruzzini points out that this network of support is not guaranteed. United Way has only $1 of funding for every $3 requested. “It is up to each of us to protect and sustain these critical programs in our community.”