The board of trustees for the United Way of Southwest Georgia is proud to announce it has named Shaunae Motley as the organization’s new president and CEO, effective April 1.

Motley is a nationally and locally recognized leader who brings a wealth of experience in visioning, strategic planning, community engagement, and capacity-building with different organizations and communities. Passionate about helping people unlock and achieve their potential, she comes to United Way after serving as director of programs for Quest For Change, a youth and family development program based in Southwest Georgia.

“After a nationwide search we’re delighted to have found someone who is not only extremely capable and qualified for the position, but who also knows Albany and Southwest Georgia and has been invested in the success of the region for years,” United Way Board Chair Cathi Jones said. “We couldn’t be happier to have Shaunae join our team and ultimately help expand our programming to our partner agencies and grow our relationship with our donors.”

Motley has demonstrated a consistent ability to take organizations and programs and elevate them in mission and operationally. At Quest For Change, she developed leadership that transformed the organization from two employees serving 150 students to a staff of 12 employees serving over 1,300 youth and families annually. Prior to that role, Shaunae had been chief operating officer for Future Foundation, where she helped grow the organization from a largely grass-roots non-profit into a $2.3 million dollar, nationally-recognized service organization. In total, she has more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector.

"It’s a blessing to do the work you feel called for," Motley said in a statement. "United Way has been a force for good and made immeasurable positive impact in the region. I'm extremely honored and grateful to step into the role, and I look forward to building relationships across Southwest Georgia that will bring even more resources and opportunities to our communities that need them.”

A recent graduate of GeorgiaForward's 2018 Young Gamechangers class in Albany/Dougherty County, Motley studied Public Relations at Georgia Southern University and also holds a Graduate Certificate in Business Excellence from Columbia Business School in New York. She was recognized as Rural Leader Magazine's Top Four "40 Under 40" in 2016, and has earned several awards and recognition for her leadership in the nonprofit industry.