Congratulations Pam Weber on Your “Volunteer of the Year” Award!

Pam Weber relentlessly advocates for 100% equity, inclusion, and access, the mission of Easterseals Redwood. Her impact on our organization is hard to put into words, but we’ll try!

Pam possesses an unparalleled level of passion, strategic thinking, and tenacity. She first became involved with Easterseals Redwood around 2000 when her husband, Warren Weber, served on the board. As the spouse of a board member, Pam was fully invested, attending every event and sharing the organization’s story with everyone she knew in the community.

After Warren rolled off, Pam joined the Easterseals Redwood board in 2015. However, she didn’t just join the board; she jumped in and immediately took the bull by the horns. She has encouraged us to think bigger, dream bigger, and secure larger funding opportunities. Pam’s constant push and her ability to hold us accountable have been instrumental in our growth and success.

Pam has been chairing our philanthropy committee since 2018, implementing a strategic vision for a fundraising plan that has resulted in an impressive increase of almost 30% in philanthropic participation and giving to the organization.

She also co-chaired our ‘Power of Work, Power of Purpose Campaign,’ which is the most ambitious fundraising initiative in the history of Easterseals Redwood. The campaign surpassed our $30 million goal, and this is a testament to Pam’s personal engagement. For Pam, the ‘Power of Work, Power of Purpose’ campaign represents more than a philanthropic endeavor; it reflects her profound understanding of the importance of fostering connection and purpose in the lives of others.

Pam Weber has the extraordinary ability to inspire and engage others, making them eager to join her in bringing about the change she envisions. Her enthusiastic support and individual meetings with nearly every board member led to 90% of the Easterseals board contributing the largest philanthropic gift of their careers to the campaign. Pam even brought in two major campaign supporters who had not previously been involved with Easterseals Redwood.

Pam is the ultimate dot-connector. She is always thinking of partnership opportunities for everyone she knows, and her network is vast. Her talent for connecting the dots has led to numerous partnerships and collaborations, ensuring that individuals with disabilities are integrated into the community and find their purpose. A few examples are.

• Thanks to Pam’s leadership, Easterseals Redwood is creating a first-of-its-kind employment program for people who are neurodiverse.

• We launched a partnership with the Cincinnati Museum Center for adults with disabilities to learn and grow into employment positions at the museum. This partnership is because of Pam. She connected Easterseals Redwood staff to Cincinnati Museum Center staff, and held many convening sessions to make this happen.

• PLK Communities has engaged in a multi-year volunteer partnership to support our Military & Veteran Services program. She is great friends with the leadership team at PLK and knew of their interest in volunteering in the community.
• Easterseals Redwood is currently working on creating a facility maintenance pathway program for people with disabilities and people living in poverty. This is because of Pam. She works closely with several property management companies, and heard more than once of their struggles in finding the right candidates for maintenance positions. Understanding Easterseals Redwood’s expertise in construction training, Pam connected these companies to us, and now we are well on our way to a full-blown pathway.

After all her years of involvement and passion for the mission, Pam and Warren turned to Easterseals’ Redwood as parents in 2018, bringing their work full circle. Their son Jason had struggled with college and lacked direction. At his parents’ urging, he started as a volunteer in our packaging and fulfillment facility. They knew he could find support and belonging working at Easterseals. Jason indeed began to thrive, and within a month had a job. He has been promoted twice and now has a leadership role.

Pam knows firsthand what it is like for a person who feels connected and purposeful. Above all, Pam has a heart for people. And that drives her to leverage everything she can – her business acumen, her connections, and her heart – to achieve 100% inclusion.