Priscilla with her husband, Sandy, and son, Max.
At CHAD, our volunteers are the heart and soul of everything we do. They inspire us with their dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to our mission. Today, we’re thrilled to celebrate an extraordinary milestone—37 years of service from our longest serving volunteer, Priscilla Henkelmann.
Priscilla was recruited to the board in 1987 by then-CEO Curt Gordon. “I remember first meeting Curt Gordon in my role working for the State of Nebraska in the Office of Community Mental Health, where I was Assistant Director. (I became the director of this office a few years later.) When Curt explained CHAD and the agencies it supported, I was impressed. I also thought the fundraising model was great. I loved the idea that CHAD could assist all these agencies and allocate funds to the agencies based on individual donations plus the aggregate wishes of its donors. I also liked the way that CHAD demanded overall accountability but did not micromanage the agencies it funded.”
In Lincoln, CHAD has a long-standing partnership with the United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County.” After I joined the Lincoln Board, I was involved in the early relationship with United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County. Some board members were skeptical about whether it would benefit CHAD, but Curt had a vision and understanding that proved to be powerfully accurate of the mutual benefit both to CHAD and to United Way.”
Priscilla is always ready to help out and pitch in when needed, serving on numerous committees over the years, including the New Member and Agency Review committees, where her years of experience and knowledge is invaluable. She also has served on the campaign cabinet for the United Way/CHAD Campaign, leading the Professionals and Individuals Division. And she is currently in her second year as the Chair of the CHAD Lincoln Board. “There are a couple of things I am most proud of during my service on the board”; Priscilla says. “The first is the work with Curt Gordon, Michelle Grossman and others to get a Nebraska statute passed that assured access to CHAD in state employee workplace giving campaigns. This law is still on the books, and at one point, the State of Nebraska employee campaign was the largest portion of the United Way/CHAD campaign in Lincoln.”
Priscilla’s 37 years of remarkable service have been an inspiration to us all, and we are grateful for the lasting impact she has made on CHAD. “Yes, 37 years is a very long time. It is definitely long enough, and perhaps I should be retired to CHAD Board Member Emeritus status after my current term as chair ends. My husband retired from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln College of Business after 42 years and was named emeritus professor. It is hard to believe that I have been associated with CHAD for almost as long. It has been an honor and a privilege, and I hope I have been able to give as much as I have been given by serving.”