James W. Horne, Jr., President and CEO of United Way of Greater Union County (UWGUC) since 2005.
During his tenure, James has created an extraordinary record of developing strong community partnerships, increasing organizational efficiencies, building and retaining board members and financial competence. He has worked hard to maintain the balance of dedication to mission, the need for bold entrepreneurial initiatives, and the application of sound business management needed to run a successful nonprofit organization. His efforts have stabilized the organization both administratively and financially, with the overall total revenues for UWGUC growing over 80% to date.
Dedicated to the mission of family strengthening, James has helped to develop and implement a partnership between UWGUC, the Union County Department of Human Services, the State of New Jersey Department of Children and Families and the Nicholson Foundation to create the Union County Family Strengthening Network (UCFSN), a comprehensive system of family support and services in Union County. UCFSN is a unique public-private partnership designed to maximize and leverage all the available resources within the county on behalf of children and families.
James has been a part of the United Way system for over 15 years. He assumed his first position as CEO in Springfield Massachusetts where he served the community for two years before moving to New Jersey. Prior to Springfield, Massachusetts, James served as Executive Vice President, Resource Development for United Way of Summit County (UWSC) in Akron Ohio. He joined UWSC in June 2000, after working for six years at United Way of Eastern Fairfield County (UWEFC) in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Before joining United Way, James spent 13 years with Sikorsky Aircraft as a production and inventory analyst. Additionally, James served as an advisor for the Center for Excellence at Fairleigh Dickenson University. The center was designed as a resource to support emerging leaders who seek to increase their nonprofit organizations success while offering the opportunity for advisors to also mentor students.
James lives in Bridgewater, New Jersey with his wife Kathryn and their children, Melissa and James III. He is also a proud father to LaToya and Megan. He currently serves on the board of the Union County Workforce Investment Board and in October, 2016, was appointed to the New Jersey Department of Environment Protection's Environmental Justice Advisory Council.