United Way of the Piedmont is thrilled to announce the addition of eight new members to its Board of Directors. These new Board Members bring valuable community knowledge and connections to the organization and will work alongside the current Board to advance United Way’s mission. The eight new members joining United Way’s Board are: Pierre Brewton, City of Spartanburg Horace Butler, BMW Manufacturing Keith Butler, Lone Oak Elementary School Luke Feisal, Hub City Spartanburgers William Marcus, United Community Bank Michael McAbee, Fifth Third Bank Michael Roach, Gibbs International Bethany Smith, Milliken & Company United Way also extends its heartfelt gratitude to the departing Board Members for their years of dedicated service: Marquice Clark, 2019-2025, Community Impact Committee Kurt Dallas, 2019-2025, Advocacy Committee Sky Foster, 2022-2025, Resource Development Committee Bennie Harris, 2022-2025, Finance Committee Chris Santoro of MTM Investment Management will serve as the new Board Chair. Reflecting on his tenure with United Way, Chris shares: “Serving on the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Piedmont over the past five years has been a tremendous privilege. It has allowed me to connect with and collaborate alongside passionate individuals who share a vision for a stronger, more vibrant community for all. I am truly honored to step into the role of Board Chair and look forward to continuing to support the incredible efforts of those who dedicate their time and resources to advancing the many impactful initiatives of United Way of the Piedmont." For more information, view United Way’s full Board of Directors at www.uwpiedmont.org/boardofdirectors .

On January 20, over 450 volunteers across Cherokee and Spartanburg counties came together for United Way of the Piedmont’s annual MLK Day of Service, collectively contributing 816 hours of service. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the nationwide AmeriCorps MLK Day of Service, a day when Americans across the country volunteer to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For over a decade, United Way of the Piedmont has hosted this day of service in our community, bringing people together to make a lasting impact. The day kicked off with a free community breakfast, generously provided by the City of Spartanburg, at the Dr. T.K. Gregg Center. After breakfast, volunteers convened at 20 local service projects, ranging from trail cleanups and playground construction to period kit packing and marketing support for local nonprofits. Sherea Cross, representing the Gamma Mu Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated., volunteered alongside her sorority sisters at the Spartanburg Period Project, helping to pack kits for those in need. Reflecting on the significance of volunteering on MLK Day, Sherea shared, “I think it's very important to give back, especially on MLK Day because Dr. King wanted unity. And today it's very diversified because of different sororities and different organizations here, but we all came together for [this] project.” United Way of the Piedmont extends its heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who contributed their time and effort this MLK Day. We encourage everyone to mark their calendars for next year’s Day of Service on Monday, January 19, 2026.