IRS Albany SPEC Office, Exceptional Volunteers Honored at Annual Meeting

(left to right) Annual Meeting Emcee JoDee Kenney, Capital News 9 Anchor; Dr. Quintin B. Bullock, President of Schenectady County Community College; Katherine Pelham, CEO of United Way of the Greater Capital Region; and newly-elected Board Chair Robert Doyle.

Community Impact Award recipient Joann Passineau, Senior Stakeholder Relationship Tax Consultant for the IRS Albany Territory SPEC Office (right), with (left to right) Nancy Dingee, United Way Director of Community Impact; and Katherine Pelham, CEO of United Way of the Greater Capital Region.

LIVE UNITED Award recipient Michael MacClaury

Tom Curry Inspirational Leadership Award recipient Katharine Doran, C.P.A.; with Katherine Pelham, CEO of United Way of the Greater Capital Region

SCHENECTADY, NY – United Way of the Greater Capital Region honored two extraordinary volunteers and the Internal Revenue Service Albany SPEC Office, as an outstanding partner organization, at United Way's Annual Meeting on October 15 at Schenectady County Community College.

United Way of the Greater Capital Region’s partnership with the Internal Revenue Service helped return more than $12.9 million in hard-earned tax dollars to low- and moderate-income individuals and families in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Schoharie counties during the 2008 tax season.

This accomplishment, along with United Way’s ongoing relationship with the IRS to help families achieve financial stability, earned the Community Impact Award for the IRS Albany Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication (SPEC) Office. Representing the IRS for the award presentation was Joann Passineau, Senior Stakeholder Relationship Tax Consultant for the Albany Territory SPEC Office.

“Our work to help individuals and families gain sufficient income to meet their basic needs and gain financial stability is significantly enhanced by our IRS partnership on the Creating Assets, Savings and Hope (CA$H) Coalition of the Greater Capital Region,” said Katherine Pelham, CEO of United Way of the Greater Capital Region.

The United Way-led CA$H Coalition consists of more than 60 community partners that direct a broad-based annual effort to provide free tax preparation at more than 50 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites across Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Schoharie counties. The shared goal is to increase people’s financial stability by helping them receive the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax credits and savings.

The IRS SPEC Office provides technical support at tax preparation sites, helps United Way reach out to populations that may be eligible for tax credits and brings CA$H coalitions together across the state to share best practices.

Other awards presented at United Way’s Annual Meeting were:

• The LIVE UNITED Award, to Michael MacLaury, a Rexford resident, who has volunteered for nine years as a grant reviewer on a United Way Community Investment allocations panel and on other United Way committees. MacLaury most recently served as chair of the Leadership Group that oversees the annual process of reviewing community programs and distributing United Way contributions to programs determined to be uniquely effective in addressing community needs.
• The Tom Curry Inspirational Leadership Award, to Katharine Doran, Shareholder of Teal, Becker & Chiaramonte CPAs. The Troy resident has been a longtime United Way Community Investment volunteer and participant in the organization’s annual community volunteering event – now called United in Action. She has also served in campaign roles speaking to business leaders about the value of United Way’s work. Doran’s leadership of the former United Way of Northeastern New York, as Board Chair during the merger that created United Way of the Greater Capital Region, was instrumental in making this transition successful.

The award is named for Tom Curry, who worked for Albany International, arranged motivational campaign meetings and was an inspiration for many to increase their support for United Way. “Tom lived in Saratoga Springs, he worked in Albany and Rensselaer counties, and he supported every facet of United Way’s work across the entire Capital Region. His regional vision continues to be an inspiration to us all,” Pelham said. Curry is retired and lives in Florida.

United Way of the Greater Capital Region's 2009 Annual Meeting also featured a Community Impact Report by 2008-09 Board Chair Stephen Vnuk. He reported that in the past year, United Way brought together a diverse set of resources to create positive, lasting change including

• Over $5.4 million raised in community workplace campaigns
• Nearly $3.3 million raised by state and federal workers through the SEFA and CFC Campaigns
• Over $250,000 from grants and special initiatives

Vnuk stated that the impact of these dollars was multiplied by the efforts of more than 1,200 volunteers and community partners. He also thanked United Way's supporters including

• More than 40,000 individual donors
• More than 350 corporations and local businesses
• A network of outstanding human service agencies
• Government partners including state and federal employees
• 50 organized labor unions
• Teams of dedicated volunteers made up of individuals representing a cross section of the community

During the Annual Meeting, Vnuk was thanked for his leadership during the past year and the Board gavel was passed to newly-elected Chair Robert Doyle. View more photos from the 2009 Annual Meeting below.

United Way of the Greater Capital Region brings people and resources together to achieve measurable and sustainable improvements in the quality of life for our community.