The executive director of the Oshkosh Area United Way will be the recipient of the Chancellor’s Medallion during the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s Midyear Commencement ceremony Dec. 13.
For more than 21 years, Panek has served as the executive director of the Oshkosh Area United Way. Her record of leadership is strong and service driven. Panek recently completed her second term as president of the United Way of Wisconsin.
Panek’s commitment to education is clear through her participation at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She serves as a member of the UW Oshkosh Human Services Advisory Committee and on the UW Oshkosh Chancellor’s Advisory Committee. She also is an advocate for UW Oshkosh’s new University Studies Program, especially Quest III.
Under Panek’s leadership, the United Way has been an active partner with the College of Business to administer an IRS-supported Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for elderly and low-income community members. This program provides a high-impact learning experience for students and works to find tax credits for those eligible, which has brought $1 million in tax returns back into the Oshkosh area. She is an advocate for early education and literacy. The United Way has partnered with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library since 2008 to provide children up to the age of five with one book each month; Panek worked with the College of Education and Human Services to create a local study on the impact of the program. The United Way also partnered with the College of Nursing to provide confidential, cost-effective medical care to uninsured individuals.
Panek credits her career success in the Oshkosh community to the volunteers, staff and colleagues. Her commitment to her profession, church and community has provided many opportunities such as: supporting the volunteers who ran the first million dollar United Way campaign, establishing the Refugee Resettlement Task Force and the Hunger Task Force, and collaborating on the formation of the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry.
Panek provides exceptional leadership to the community and serves as a voice for quality of life and educationally-focused causes in the greater Oshkosh area.
Learn more: