By Morgan McDonald
You may know Jane McIntyre as the former CEO of the United Way of the Central Carolinas, the 2014 Woman of the Year, a Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, former CEO of YWCA, or a number of other titles. You may not know that this decorated philanthropist started her successful career as a member of the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC). It was through her experience in the JLC that she gained the experience and confidence to help change the city of Charlotte one day at a time, while making lifelong friendships that still thrive today.
Jane, originally from Rock Hill, South Carolina, joined the JLC in the late 1970s when she and her husband DG moved from the Midwest back East. She wanted to get involved in her new community, make new friends, and make a difference with a group of women who shared the same ideals and goals as she did.
She began volunteering with the JLC at Carolinas Medical Center, now Atrium Health, in the emergency room, working with underprivileged patients and grieving families. More than a decade later, Jane returned to the hospital full time, where she learned business development, marketing, and fundraising.
As a former special education teacher, Jane was uniquely qualified to help lead a JLC placement in a Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). At that time, CMS did not use volunteer programs except on their Parent Teacher Associations. With a CMS Principal, Jane and her team designed and wrote the curriculum for tutoring and guiding schools how to work with volunteers. What a difference this small placement made!
These experiences with public education and three daughters in public schools, along with her involvement with the PTA at an inner city school, inspired Jane to take a risk and run for public office for CMS Board of Education. She wanted to make a difference in the schools of the town she loved.
Jane will tell you that the JLC equipped her with the confidence and drive to run, enabling her to eventually make a difference in many childrens’ lives. She depended on her supportive husband, friends and JLC friends. Together they ran three successful campaigns and Jane served on the board for over eight years. During her three terms, Jane took risks and endeavored to diversify the schools, believing everyone deserved an equal education. It was not just here that the JLC helped her build the strength to make tough decisions and continue to take risks.
As CEO of the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association), Jane, along with its tremendous staff and volunteers, raised the level of financial support for the organization and renovated the ladies quarters of the housing upstairs, building ten additional townhomes for families that faced homelessness. This resulted in providing a roof and shelter for over roughly 125 individuals: women, children and families.
In her time as the CEO of the United Way of the Central Carolinas, Jane took the organization from an untrustworthy and shattered reputation to a thriving and trustworthy cause. Each year, Jane, her staff, and volunteers, raised 16 million dollars to give back to the community with a total of more than six campaigns totaling over 100 million dollars. These donations helped support over 300,000 individuals and 87 organizations in five surrounding counties each year.
Today Jane will tell you that the “community of women supporting and striving to better our community” remains one of the greatest assets of Charlotte. The women she met after joining the JLC remain some of her closest friends today.
What we do on this Earth and who we surround ourselves with makes the greatest difference and most significant impact. As Jane said, “relationships are so important in all of life…the only thing left after you take away anything tangible.”
