Get to know…Emily Juhnke, Associate Vice President of Philanthropy

Describe your role at United Way and what you are looking forward to.

As Associate Vice President of Philanthropy, I am responsible for assisting with the implementation of high-level fundraising strategies and leadership programs. I look forward to continuing to build relationships within our community, earning trust and connecting people to how they can help advance the common good.

Share a bit about your career history and how you made your way to United Way.

Until now, my career has been in business, but the motivation for every role I’ve had has revolved around building meaningful connections and making people’s lives better. That motivation amplifies exponentially at United Way of the Plains, where we work to partner with the community to address the most critical needs of our neighbors in south central Kansas. The kind of work that truly changes people’s lives.

Share a bit about your connection to south central Kansas.

I’ve lived in south central Kansas my whole life, and I’ve grown my family and career here. Kansas values like humility, generosity, grit, doing the right thing, and genuine care for others are core to who I am and what I do. I also see these values demonstrated by others around me, all the time. I can’t imagine that living anywhere else could be better than this.

What are you interests and pastimes?

I’m a family girl, through and through. I love being a wife, mom, aunt, daughter, sister, and friend, and I have an ongoing need to ensure that those around me feel safe, loved, seen, and cared for. These days, that often means feeding my teenage daughters’ friends and providing them with a safe place to hang out, which is a lot of fun. I also have a goal to attend community events and support our local businesses as much as I can.

Share a bit about your family.

I’ve been married to my husband, Ben (also a Kansas native) for 21 years. He is a professional theatrical scenic and lighting designer and technical director who has worked with Music Theatre Wichita and the Forum Theatre for more than 20 years. We have two teenage girls, a high schooler who loves creating art and writing for her school newspaper, and a very busy middle schooler who does performing arts, volleyball, basketball, cheer, and soccer. We’ve also adopted multiple shelter dogs over the years – currently, we have three. Our newest is Luna, who we adopted as a puppy last year from Beauties and Beasts.

What have you found to be a favorite experience at United Way so far?

It’s hard to pick! It was so much fun to celebrate our centennial with the community. And the Impact on the Plains event this year was really special, to see the nonprofits with innovative plans for meaningful outcomes, and to see the community support them. I also truly enjoy coming to work every day and serving alongside this incredible team!