United Ways of Chautauqua County Executive Director Amy Rohler says the “partnership is absolutely the right thing.”

One of the most important employees behind the scenes in making a merger of the two Chautauqua County United Ways happen was not even in attendance for a historic meeting this week. Almost quietly, the north and south county agencies announced in January 2022 it would begin using Lisa Sunday to oversee the finances for both organizations.

“I am excited to take this opportunity with the Southern Chautauqua County team, apply lessons learned in shared services and capacity building, and to connect both United Ways in a new and unique way,” Sunday said in a news release at the time.

Sunday, who was taking some well-deserved time off, began with the United Way of Northern Chautauqua County in 2008. She also was one of the major engines to the non-profit’s successful Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program that became highly successful after its start in 2015.

Her move to the larger role was a collaboration by Amy Rohler, United Way executive director, and Adam Dolce, who formerly oversaw the United Way in Dunkirk. It was a strategic decision that helped pave the way for an even greater transformation.

“That was part of the process,” Rohler said during the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County annual meeting at Moonbrook Country Club in Jamestown on Tuesday. “Was it always easy? No. Did it require trust? Yes. Did it require a lot of conversations? Yes.”

Look at where we are more than two years later. The shared position allowed for a greater synergy between the separate board of directors and leadership teams that were partitioned by a needless but historic county divide, not its mission of caring.

It sparked other discussions. Once Dolce left the north county operation — in which he did an excellent job in building partnerships — for a state position, talks intensified over the last seven months between the boards on moving in an obvious, but sometimes contentious direction: becoming one United Way.

In June, the north county board gave its unanimous approval to the partnership. Tuesday’s meeting at Moonbrook brought the same result with a great deal of applause by the more than 100 who were in attendance.

Unsurprisingly, one of the major components in making the consolidation happen was Vince Horrigan, who oversaw the American Red Cross of Southwestern New York that covered Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties. In that role, he understood the positives that come from reaching larger numbers.

During his tenure as county executive, he consistently touted regional efforts while spearheading the beginning of the North County Water District. Though it has gone through growing pains, no one can underestimate the savings it has generated for the municipalities that are tied to the shared water system.

In a rousing campaign-style speech, Horrigan gave his endorsement to the momentous shift that needed to occur before Tuesday’s vote. “We’re embarking on something that for my time in this county has been a goal,” he said. “That is bringing together communities, organizations and citizens to be able to work together to come together because truly we are stronger together.”

It was a perfect message — and so true.

In 1999, area leaders had a similar vision when it took what was then a controversial step in merging the north and south Chambers of Commerce into one county powerhouse. At that time, it immediately gave the organization a much larger voice.

Twenty-five years later, it remains the third largest chamber in the Western New York. That made a difference in terms of advocacy for the business community while having added clout on a statewide level.

Small municipal governments and schools could learn from these non-profits as well. As seven languishing districts of the 18 in our county endure with fewer than 500 students, the United Way merger is a lesson for them.

Smaller schools are already offering a diminished education based on a lack of course offerings and extracurricular activities. They already know this since they are sharing athletes with neighbors just to field competitive teams.

On the front of the 2023-24 annual report, the United Way proclaims in capital letters that we’re “better together.” That slogan also is the impetus for setting the largest campaign goal of $1.8 million that will be led by co-chairs Kelly Borrello and Bill Soffel.

“I believe that we have an opportunity to increase our impact in a meaningful way,” said Christine Tarbrake, a United Way board officer. “The best part about it is we’ll touch more families than we ever have in the past.”

For the dynamic Rohler, who has helped steer “the process,” it speaks volumes of her abilities and beliefs in bettering this county through partnerships, not dissension.

“This partnership is absolutely the right thing for our United Way,” she said. “It’s the right thing for our community and it’s the right thing for our residents … who need the most support who are ultimately what we are about. … United, we do more.”

John D’Agostino is the editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.