Adam O’Doherty will serve as the first president and CEO of the newly formed United Way of Northwest Indiana.
O’Doherty was selected following a national search by a seven-member committee, which was led by Jeff Strack, CEO of Strack & Van Til and included United Way board members and community representatives.
“Since last Fall, we have been looking for the best candidate to lead our organization into our next phase of service,” said Strack, also the United Way of Northwest Indiana board chair. “We couldn’t be more thrilled that Adam has taken on the challenge. He’s a Midwesterner at heart and will bring an innovative mindset to our Region as we help families and individuals thrive.”
O’Doherty has served as the CEO of United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counites in Safford, Arizona the past three years. He brings more than 15 years of leadership experience with a proven record of creating innovative social impact solutions.
“I am excited to join such a warm and welcoming community and to work in partnership toward achievement of our common goal of building successful communities,” O’Doherty said.
O’Doherty is an advocate for children and their families and has a strong sense of community, according to the United Way of Northwest Indiana.
“No single entity or group can solve the challenges that face our students, our families, or our communities,” he said. “We all need to work together with shared accountability and high expectations for every person in our communities.”
The United Way said several people, regionally and nationally, expressed interest in the role. Koya Partners, an executive search firm, led the search in partnership with the committee.
O’Doherty starts his new role March 14. He takes over an organization with a staff of 20, a board of 36 community leaders, more than 300 community partners, 4,000 donors and 5,000 volunteers across five Northwest Indiana counties.
The United Way of Northwest Indiana was created following the merger between the Lake Area United Way and United Way of Porter County in October 2021.
