Jimena Loveluck, Health Officer for the Washtenaw County Health Department, has been selected by the United Way of Washtenaw County (UWWC) Women United group as the 2022 Woman of the Year. Ms. Loveluck will be honored at the UWWC’s Power of the Purse event on March 9, 2022. The event will be virtual because of the COVID pandemic.
“Jimena Loveluck exemplifies what the Power of the Purse initiative is about: women taking action to address community issues,” said Pam Smith, President of the United Way of Washtenaw County, and member of the Power of the Purse committee. “Jimena displayed exemplary leadership during the pandemic and continues to go above and beyond every day to make sure our community has access to vaccines, current information, testing, masks or personal protective equipment (PPE), and appropriate medical care.”
Ms. Loveluck was chosen by the Power of the Purse committee for her exemplary leadership role in the community and her accomplishments in community leadership, ensuring a comprehensive COVID-19 response, including multiple strategies to increase the equitable distribution of testing, vaccines, and current information.
“I am incredibly grateful to be recognized and honored among so many dedicated women serving our community,” shared Ms. Loveluck. “It’s not easy to describe the impact of the pandemic on those in our community that have been severely ill, lost loved ones, or endured other pandemic-related hardships. This is especially true among communities of color where we have seen COVID compound long-term inequities and unjust health disparities. It has also affected our already strained public health workforce. But each day, I am thankful for those around me that lend me strength and continue to work tirelessly to respond to this pandemic and protect the health of our entire community. I continue to be hopeful that we will find unity around the importance of protecting health and supporting community recovery and change. This will require bolstering our public health infrastructure, and truly committing to health and healthy opportunities for all.”
Prior to assuming the role of Health Officer, Loveluck led initiatives to combat the opioid crisis, integrate public health services, and increase health equity as the Deputy Health Officer at the Washtenaw County Health Department. She has successfully written grants, bringing both new funding and staff to the Health Department, including the first CDC Public Health Associate. Prior to joining the Washtenaw County Health Department staff, Loveluck was the Vice Chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Health and Vice President of Community Research and Innovation for UNIFIED – HIV Health and Beyond. She also served as the president and CEO of the HIV/AIDS Resource Center in Ypsilanti for fifteen years. Loveluck is the first Latinx and first bilingual Health
Officer for Washtenaw County Health Department.
Women United is a United Way national network of some 55,000 members in 137 U.S. communities, and the most successful philanthropic effort of its kind. Locally, the UWWC Women’s Leadership Initiative has granted over $250,000 through the Power of the Purse event for programs that promote women’s success and self-sufficiency.
The UWWC established the Woman of the Year honor in 2009. Previous recipients include Eileen Spring, Molly Dobson, Dr. Lori Pierce, Cecilia Fileti, Cynthia Wilbanks, Verna McDaniel, Beth
Fitzsimmons, Martha Darling, Pat Warner, Denise Rabidoux and Lucy Ann Lance. The 2022 Event Chair is Nicole Kontyko.
About United Way of Washtenaw County
United Way of Washtenaw County connects people, organizations and resources together to create a thriving community for everyone. The Community Impact model focuses on health, education and financial stability issues to create opportunities for families and strengthen Washtenaw County. Over its 95-year history it has invested more than 250 million dollars to support over 60 successful local human services agencies in a comprehensive, integrated way that created positive lasting change in Washtenaw County.
