President and chief executive officer of the United Way of Winnipeg since 1985, Susan Lewis has devoted more than 30 years to building caring communities. Under her leadership, the United Way has evolved from being strictly a funding agency to one that actively works with other agencies to bring together community resources in a strategic way to address significant social issues. As a result of her vision, the agency has been a trailblazer in such initiatives as the Youth Relations, Aboriginal Relations and Poverty Reduction councils. The latter brings together senior leadership and decision-makers from all sectors, together with community members, to seek and implement solutions to the complex issues of poverty. Appointed to the Premier’s Advisory Council on Education, Poverty and Citizenship since 2010, she is also active on several committees for the United Way of Canada and sits on the board of Imagine Canada, an umbrella organization defending the interests of charities across Canada.
