Valley native Eileen Ward knows a lot about serving the needs of a growing population. As vice president of human resources for USAA, she has seen her staff expand from 30 employees to 2,700 in just five years. The firm provides financial services for those serving in the military.
Eileen's involvement with John C. Lincoln began when she joined USAA when it opened its Phoenix office in 2001.
"In our early years here, we developed a great partnership with John C. Lincoln. They would come and do our health fairs for us, they supported us on flu shots, and they would do wellness briefings for our work force," she says.
Eileen Ward
"We were also familiar with the great philanthropic work that they do in the community."
USAA officials asked the John C. Lincoln Health Foundation to submit proposals for funding, which led to significant contributions to help support programs such as John C. Lincoln's Children's Dental Clinic and Marley House behavioral health center.
"There's a wonderful connection between John C. Lincoln and USAA," she adds. "Both of our organizations have very clear missions and operate from a very strong values-based decision process. When John C. Lincoln approached USAA with an inquiry as to whether we would be interested in having somebody on the Foundation board, I raised my hand and said 'I'd like to do that.'"
Eileen joined the Foundation's board of directors in 2003. She was also invited to join the board's executive committee this spring as the board secretary.
She summed up her reasons for staying involved with the John C. Lincoln Health Network: "They have a commitment to the highest quality health care and a strong, strong commitment to serving those people who are most vulnerable. Their outreach programs and service programs make a critical contribution to the community we live in."
To find out more about how you can join Eileen in making a difference in your community, call the John C. Lincoln Health Foundation at 602-331-7860.