Herb Anderson
Volunteer SpotlightHerb Anderson is nothing if not committed and this commitment extends to all facets of his life. Herb retired from B.F. Goodrich Tire Company in January of 2020 with over 45 years of service. He is entrenched in the Fort Wayne community as well, spending much of his time volunteering with United Way of Allen County as well as sitting on the Board of the Financial Partners Federal Credit Union. He has been married to his wife, Debi, for 44 years and together they have two grown children and one grandchild. In his free time, he enjoys designing and building furniture from wood.
Herb has been serving with United Way of Allen County since the mid-nineties, serving in a wide variety of roles since then. He started out as the labor chair for the campaign cabinet in 1995 and served several times in that capacity. In 1997, he joined the Finance Committee and is still a part of that committee to this day. He was elected to the Board of Directors as a Labor representative in 1998, served three terms, was elected as an emeritus member at the end of his active terms, he was elected as an active director in 2014. He was also the co-chair of our Day of Caring Committee twice and has served on many other committees and task forces during his time with us. We are grateful that he has committed so much of his time to us over the past few decades and appreciate his steadfast nature.
Herb is proud to spend his time with an organization so committed to the community and that has a long history of partnership with organized labor. The United Way and Organized Labor partnership dates to the 1940’s and it has allowed Labor to be a part of United Way’s efforts to give a hand up to many in our community. Labor has brought the voices and concerns of organized labor members to the table for the community, have actively made sure the dollars raised were spent judiciously to help those in need, and are part of campaigns in their workplaces to encourage contributions of time, talent, and treasure. Herb was the co-coordinator for the B.F. Goodrich/USW 715 workplace campaign from 1988 until he retired.
Herb looks toward the future of Allen County, and he hopes that Allen County will offer prosperity and opportunities for not just a few residents but to all residents. He believes in the mission of United Way and its partnership with organized labor to help offer these opportunities. Herb says: “While it is an organization that has been around for one hundred years, it continually looks to fill gaps in the community, advocates, convenes, and is volunteer driven. It takes time, effort, and responsibility to be a part of United Way, but it is very satisfying to know at the end of the day that you have helped others.”
We thank Herb for the commitment and effort he has made over the years to make Allen County a more prosperous place for all residents.