United Way of Lane County – a local branch of an international nonprofit organization focusing on children’s success – has chosen Alma Fumiko Hesus as its next president and CEO after a national search.

Hesus is United Way of Lane County’s current vice president of resource development. She will succeed Noreen J. Dunnells, who held the position for 13 years. Dunnells will be retiring and Hesus will take over on July 7.

“We’re excited for Alma to lead UWLC into the next chapter — not just for the organization, but for the families who count on our work every day,” board member Emily Martin said in a written statement. “There is tremendously important work ahead; many more children and families to reach.”

Hesus, who was born in rural Oregon and raised in Guam, also serves as the current chair of the Lane Transit District strategic planning committee and is on the board of the Springfield Library Foundation Board and the Pacific Cascade Federal Credit Union board. 

“It’s an honor to step into this new role at United Way of Lane County,” Hesus said. “I’m eager to bring new strategies and ideas to our work while also continuing to advance our core mission of mobilizing people and organizations – connecting, convening, and collaborating across Lane County – to ensure that local children and families thrive.”

Jasmine Saboorian is a recent graduate from the University of Oregon and is an intern with the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism. A native of Los Angeles, Jasmine was a journalism major and sports business minor at UO. She began her journalism career in high school as the news editor for her school’s newspaper, the Calabasas Courier, where she discovered her passion for journalism.