Wendy Kirk is the new president and chief executive officer of United Way of Madison County. (CONTRIBUTED)

HUNTSVILLE – United Way of Madison County has hired Wendy Kirk as its new president and chief executive officer. Kirk is the first female to hold this position in United Way’s 70-year history.

For the past 10 months, Kirk has served as interim president. She was hired in 2010 as chief operating officer.

“Wendy has demonstrated a strong commitment to help those in our community least able to help themselves. I join the full board in welcoming her to this new role,” Joe Newberry said. Newberry is United Way’s board chairman and works as president/CEO at Redstone Federal Credit Union.

“I’m overjoyed at the thought of the work that we, as a community, will do toward creating lasting change for those who need it most,” Kirk said. “United Way’s initiatives in health, education and income provide a focus for true community impact.”

“I’m excited about the collaborative efforts that are on the horizon for our community,” Kirk said.

During her career, Kirk worked as executive director of United Way of Northeast Arkansas and an instructor at Arkansas State University, where she assisted military families and at-risk college students.

“My work at Arkansas State was the perfect precursor to work in the social services arena,” she said. “I saw students struggling to make ends meet, working three jobs to pay tuition, unable to afford textbooks and taking care of aging and ill parents as well as children.”

Kirk graduated in Class 24 of Leadership Huntsville/Madison County and serves on its planning committee. Kirk is a board member for Rotary Club of Greater Huntsville.

Kirk earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Arkansas State. She holds certification in volunteer management from the University of Arkansas.

She and husband Todd have two children, Katelyn, 22, and Jacob, 15.

United Way of Madison County has invested more than $100 million to fund innovative programs and initiatives that address the county’s most pressing needs.

For more information, visit uwhsv.org.