Shelton, CT: Valley United Way announced today that Patricia, “Pat” Tarasovic has resigned from her role as Vice President of Community Engagement effective March 27th. Through her 25 years of service with the United Way, she has been integral to many initiatives and has provided tremendous service to the non-profits in the Valley Region. David Kennedy, Interim President/COO, said he received the news of her departure with regret but focused on celebrating all she contributed to the community. “I have been fortunate enough to see first-hand the deep respect and profound admiration so many have for Pat in the community,” Kennedy noted. “It is clearly a respect and admiration that has been earned through hard work and consistent care, year in and year out, for over 25 years.”
Ms. Tarasovic joined Valley United Way after actively volunteering in Oxford for many years. During her time at VUW, she founded the Corporate and High School Volunteer Councils, which have provided non-profits and individuals with hundreds of projects, and thousands of hours of service. Such initiatives helped tackle food insecurity in the Valley and assisted vulnerable families in need through programs like the Back to School drive and Holiday Giving.
One of the major projects Ms. Tarasovic led with the Corporate Volunteer Council was Harvest House: a community wide initiative to build a house of food that provided hundreds of thousands of pounds of nonperishables to local pantries since 2005. This past year at the 9th Harvest House, they collected over 150,000 items of food, which arrived at the pantries during a decline in their inventory.
Because of her role in such projects, she has received multiple awards over the years from Griffin Hospital, the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, Health and Human Services Council, was named a Paul Harris Fellow from the Derby Shelton Rotary Club, was a delegate to the Valley All-America City Team, a member of the founding Committee of the LEAD/Leadership Program, and in 2015 was appointed by the Governor to become a Board member of the Connecticut Corporation for National Service.
“I will always cherish my time at Valley United Way,” Tarasovic remarked. “I’ve been so fortunate to be part of this Valley Community of caring, passionate and engaging people. The Programs of Valley United Way have always been my heart song. Working with the CVC, High School Volunteer Council, Youth Leadership, the many special projects of the Valley Health and Human Services Council and Griffin Breast Wellness Center, all produced lifelong friends. I do not know my next steps, but I am very excited to welcome this new chapter.”
Board Vice Chair Jimmy Tickey, recognized that “Pat has been a tremendous asset to the Valley United Way. Whether organizing volunteers throughout the Naugatuck Valley, assembling Harvest House to collect food items every year, or leading the Youth Leadership program – of which I am a proud alum – Pat has fulfilled the mission of Living United. I thank her for her dedication and service to the Valley United Way.”
The staff and Board look forward to publicly celebrating Pat’s many accomplishments and her leadership at a future community gathering. “After so many years of service, it will be wonderful to give Pat the thanks she deserves,” Kennedy remarked.
As a leading philanthropic organization in Lower Naugatuck Valley, Valley United Way improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of the community through philanthropy, volunteerism, and collaboration. For more information about the organization, visit its website at www.valleyunitedway.org or contact David Kennedy, Interim President/COO at 203-538-6341.