Ilah's Story
Ilah spurned her hopelessness and with help, is now an attorney.... MORE
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Interview With Sarah Flannery
Sarah Flannery is a great example of an up and coming leader from "Generation X." Along with Tod Wagner of Libman, Goldstine, Kopperman & Wolf, Sarah co-chairs United Way's young leadership organization, GeneratioNEXT, is comprised of donors and volunteers between the ages of 25 and 35. GeneratioNEXT encourages the upcoming leaders of the community to continue the tradition of charitable giving and active engagement with the community. "Giving back to the community is an important aspect of my life. I have been fortunate enough to have done well and I feel a strong desire to give back to the community that has given me opportunity to succeed," our featured volunteer, Sarah Flannery says. For Sarah, seeing and experiencing the impact that United Way has only deepened her commitment to and understanding of the important role United Way plays in making our community a better place for everyone.
United Way: Thank you for taking the time to talk to United Way today. Sarah, how well do you know Greater Cleveland?
Sarah Flannery: I am a native Clevelander and I have never left! I grew up here as part of a typical, large Irish Catholic family with four brothers and a sister. I received my undergraduate degree from John Carroll University and my law school degree from Cleveland State University's Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. My husband and I recently moved from North Olmsted to Bath Township in Summit County, but we still identify ourselves as Clevelanders.
UW: Has your family been involved with charitable work or with United Way?
SF: My mother and father set good examples for us. They have been donors to United Way and involved in community organizations for as long as I can remember. My parents are even in professions that directly help community members. For many years, my father worked for Catholic Charities as a social worker and he now is a nursing home administrator. My mom is a director of a home health care agency. They both have seen a lot of people in need and have taught us the importance of community involvement. They care about Greater Cleveland and that has had a real influence on my siblings and myself.
UW: When did you first become involved in United Way?
SF: I had heard about United Way from my parents while I was growing up, but it was when I became a United Way Loaned Executive after joining Thompson Hine that I really became committed to the organization. That experience gave me an insight into the tremendous impact that United Way has in Greater Cleveland. Since that experience, I have become more and more actively engaged, and my responsibilities with United Way have increased. I am pleased to be involved in a capacity that I know is making a positive difference in the life of our community.
UW: Are there other nonprofit organizations that you have been involved with?
SF: I am at a point in my life where I am trying to balance several important responsibilities: I am newly married, establishing myself in my career, and developing a commitment to community involvement. I have been careful to not over-extend myself, so I have limited myself to a few philanthropic activities that I care deeply about. In addition to my involvement with United Way, I also volunteer at my high school alma mater and I participate in Thompson Hine's affiliation with the Harvey Rice School by serving as a pen pal and as a tutor. Thompson Hine is also a great supporter of pro-bono work and I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work on a case where we are helping a young man from Rwanda seek asylum in the U.S.
UW: What inspires you to be involved in community building? What do you think motivates other twentysomethings to get involved, to make a difference?
SF: I think that in Cleveland in particular there is an energy among young people who want to revitalize the city, and United Way is an important part of that process. I believe the best recruiters for young professionals are other young professionals who are proud of Cleveland. I am so happy and proud to be from Cleveland and I welcome the opportunity to share my enthusiasm with others. I also feel fortunate to have as many successes as I have at my age and I want to give back to the community that has helped make that possible. Through GeneratioNEXT, I have been able to encourage others who have been so blessed to consider how they can contribute to the betterment of the community. United Way provides wonderful opportunities to connect the members of our community who can give with those who need.
UW: How has your GeneratioNEXT and United Way involvement given you different perspectives?
SF: There are two lasting lessons that I will take away from my experience as the Co-chair of GeneratioNEXT. One is that Cleveland has some great leaders -- both those established and those coming up through the ranks. Along those same lines I was impressed by the desire of the present leaders to work with the budding leaders. GeneratioNEXT has had a speakers' series this past year where leaders like Chris Connor from Sherwin-Williams, Sandra Pianalto from the Federal Reserve, Henry Meyer from KeyCorp and others have spoken and shared their wisdom with us. The leaders of this community have been very welcoming of GeneratioNEXT and supportive of its mission. The second lesson that I will take away is that each and every individual's gift makes a difference and is necessary. Sometimes people think that if they can't donate a lot, their small gift won't help. Working with United Way has shown me just how much of a difference every single gift can make. Working with GeneratioNEXT and United Way as a whole has been a wonderful and inclusive experience.
UW: Are there similarities between the values of your law firm, Thompson Hine and United Way?
SF: I have found that an important influence on professionals, particularly young professionals, is having an employer that encourages community involvement. I am proud to work for an organization like Thompson Hine that has a history of being a generous donor and strong supporter of United Way. Both United Way and Thompson Hine encourage leadership, generosity, and respect for others. I have observed that companies committed to community involvement tend to be committed to their employees. This allows them to foster a wonderful work environment that often, in turn, leads to great business success.
UW: What kind of future leadership role do you aspire to personally and professionally?
SF:
Within United Way, I would aspire to ultimately serving as a campaign chair for United Way. Before that level of community leadership can be attained, however, I know that I will be involved in many other aspects of United Way, such as serving on a community investment panel, and various fundraising and resource development committees. Professionally, I hope to develop a reputation as an attorney worthy of being very well respected by my peers in the legal and the Cleveland community at large.
UW: Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work and United Way? What do you like to do in your spare time?
SF:
I enjoy taking hikes in the park system that is immediately behind our home and I also enjoy skiing. My husband and I love to entertain and bringing together our friends and family with parties and other festive events. We always look forward to the holidays, especially Christmas and New Years!
UW: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today.
Past volunteer interviews:
Marc Byrnes, Campaign Cabinet
David W. Whitehead, Strategic Planning Chair
Jim Petsock of UPS
Henry L. Meyer III, 2005 United Way Campaign Chairman
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