Former officials to head United Way campaign

Former Saukville Village President Barb Dickmann and former Port Washington Mayor Marty Becker are the honorary co-chairmen of the United Way of Northern Ozaukee’s 2023-24 fundraising campaign.

The chairmen lead the fundraising efforts for the agency, which this year has a goal of $510,000.

That’s an increase from last year, when the campaign raised $409,889 to support 12 nonprofit agencies in the community.

The campaign officially started Friday, and brochures are expected to go out to area residents this week.

The goal was increased in large part because all of the nonprofit organizations United Way supports are reporting increased needs in the county, Barbara Bates-Nelson, executive director of United Way of Northern Ozaukee, said, especially in the areas of mental health and homelessness.

Inflation is also taking a toll on the nonprofit groups, she said.

“The cost of basic needs is increasing more than CPI (the consumer price index),” Bates-Nelson said.

Dickmann and Becker will also work to bring in additional funding to support a sustainable community services navigator program that helps people access resources and services offered in the county.

The theme of this year’s campaign is “Change doesn’t happen…it is created together.”

Dickmann, who served as Saukville president from 2003 until 2023, is the owner of All Fired Up, a Saukville pottery business. She was past president of Women’s Focus and United Way of Northern Ozaukee, is a member of the Rotary Club of Port Washington-Saukville and teaches water aerobics for the Feith Family Ozaukee YMCA.

“My heart is in community service,” Dickmann said. “I was drawn to the passion with which the United Way of Northern Ozaukee does its amazing work. Their thoughtful fundraising and multifaceted approach to maximizing funds collected and volunteer time offered continues to provide solutions to those who need to overcome obstacles and be empowered to succeed.”

Becker, who has served on the YMCA board, was Port’s mayor from 2018 to 2021 and served on the city’s Fire and Police Commission from 2010 to 2018.

Becker, a pharmacist, continues to work part-time in the city but said he wants to give back to the community in other ways.

“By helping United Way to become more sustainable, I feel I’m helping the whole community,” Becker said.

Working with Dickmann and Becker will be a four member cabinet of community leaders — Doug McManus, Jim Asplin, Bill Moren and Robert Fechner.

McManus is a retired physician, vice president of the campaign and former chief medical officer of Advocate Aurora’s Central Region. He also serves on several boards, including the Albrecht Free Clinic and Successful Aging and was a founding board member for the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight.

Asplin, a financial adviser for 24 years, is the owner of Newport Wealth Management. He is a past president and 23-year member of the Rotary Club of Port Washington–Saukville, a past board member for Portal Industries and a member of the inaugural United Way Campaign Committee.

Moren is a retired financial advisor, a member of the Cedarburg Cultural Center board of directors and a member of Love our Great Lakes Planning Group.

Fechner is president and managing partner of Kuttner North America and member of the Rotary Club of Port Washington-Saukville.

United Way of Northern Ozaukee works with 12 agencies — Adult Literacy, Advocates of Ozaukee, Balance, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Family Sharing of Ozaukee County, Interfaith Caregivers, Lakeshore Regional Child Advocacy Program, NAMI, Ozaukee Family Services, Ozaukee Jail Literacy, Portal and Sirona Recovery.

“We recognize that there are growing needs in the community that require additional long-term investments and potential new partnerships to fight homelessness, support those impacted by violence, abuse, and neglect and the pressing health issues that are impacting our children, our youth and our families,” Bates-Nelson said.

“Together, we will champion our community’s for local solutions to build a thriving community for all.”

United Way’s annual fundraising campaign kicks off in September.

For more information, visit UnitedWayNO.org.