5/14/14 Carol is a passionate advocate for children! Those of us outside of Bozeman especially appreciate her tireless work to be bring services to the underserved and underprivileged in outlying areas. She will be missed and we will work to assure that her work will not fade as she moves out of the limelight and on to other pursuits. Carol, you’ll be missed, but you’ll always be welcome in the Belgrade Community. May you have an amazingly rich retirement. Mark Halgren
5/12/14 Carol, Congratulations on your retirement from the Greater Gallatin United Way! The community of Bozeman and surrounding Greater Gallatin area is a better place to live with opportunities that would not have been available for families had you not practiced your passion with such vigor. Your outstanding leadership of the GGUW has established a tradition of excellence in programming opportunities that help people. I am especially pleased with the constant advocacy you provided for children through great programs and a constant eye on resources that would forward this very important part of the communities in the Greater Gallatin area. It was exciting and productive to serve on the GGUW Board under the leadership you provided. So, you will missed for sure.
The joy of moving into retirement is to continue to be passionate about the things important to you without having to hold down a schedule. I hope you find a great way to continue to practice your passion and that it continues to positively impact children. I can bet you have a plan. Congratulations for the great work you have done and best wishes for a future of happiness! Best, Kirk Miller
5/12/14 Congratulations, Carol. Now you can do all the things you've been wanting to do but haven't had time for. Your dedication to United Way has positively affected hundreds of grateful people helping to create stronger and happier communities for all of us. Thank you from all of us. All the best to you on your new journeys. Hugs, Jodi Hausen
5/11/14 I want you to know what a wonderful person I think you are...a true soul-mate. I'm so very happy for you, and I just know we have hours and hours of things to discuss and ideas to make the world a better place! The ice tea will be ready and soon as the weather settles and you return from your daughter's wedding. I would love for you to come join me in one of the rocking chairs on my deck so we can get started! Best Wishes!!!! Kandy Rose
5/8/14 I will be in Lewistown for a meeting on the 14th, but would love to send a message to Carol: Congratulations on your retirement! It has been a real pleasure working with you. If you put as much effort into enjoying your retirement as you have all the years you've been working at United Way, your retirement will be truly amazing. May all the years ahead bring you great joy and relaxation. Happy retirement! Jane Arntzen Shumacher
5/8/14 Thanks for all you have done by serving with United Way. The residents of Gallatin county are the better for it, and so are we at J&H! Best wishes in this next part of life’s journey! Best regards, Don Small
5/8/14 I so appreciate all you have done to support early literacy in Gallatin County, especially your commitment to the Early Childhood Community Council. We all look forward to seeing a relaxed and smiling Carol out and about in our community. Happy retirement! Cindy Christin
5/5/14 Many thanks to Carol! Her work has been wonderful. JoAnne Mueller
5/1/14 Congrats. You've made a big contribution in this world - one person does and can make a difference. **You will have no problem filling your time. That garden and flower beds will just pop with all your attention. Enjoy Your freedom! Chris Blair
4/27 Letter to the Editor: The beginning of May marks a great change for Greater Gallatin United Way. Carol Townsend, the president of GGUW is retiring after 18 years. Over those 18 years, GGUW has grown into a powerful organization for positive change in our community. With your help, GGUW raises over $1 million dollars a year to help the many non-profit organizations in Gallatin, Meagher, and Park Counties provide services to people in need. But as important as the money is, GGUW provides something more important in its support of the many worthy programs in our valley. They provide hope. Hope for people who ended up in situations that they never expected to be in. Knowing that there is someone that cares about them and their families, and is willing to help, may be the difference between success and failure. Just getting a one-time boost may be all that is needed.
GGUW has many successful stories to tell, and will have many more in the future. GGUW provides an easy way for your to contribute to the many needs in our beautiful Gallatin Valley. You can be assured that there is an effective, transparent system overseen by a dedicated board that invests your donations so that you get the biggest bang for your buck. I was fortunate enough to serve on the GGUW board for six years and experienced these sucesses first hand. Thank you Carol for all the years of your hard work. You will be missed by many, but you leave a strong effective organization behind you. Enjoy your future. Rick Ojala
4/23/14 I've loved working with you over the years. Congratulations on the next phase of your life! Hugs, Sherry Stevens, United Way of Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Glacier & Sanders Counties
4/23/14 I would totally love to be there -- Carol is truly an inspiration to all who got to know her and her dedication to United Way. However, I will be in Georgia attending my nephew's wedding so can't be there to wish Carol all the best. Please pass my best wishes on to her. Thanks for the invite. Terri Hanson
4/22/14 Wouldn’t you know we are having a county-wide disaster exercise that day and we recruit and manage all of the volunteers helping to stage the exercise. I was looking forward to attending so please let her know that I can’t make it and give her my best. Pam Sanderson
4/15/14 A Letter to the Editor: On May 1, Carol Townsend will retire as CEO/President of the Greater Gallatin United Way (GGUW).
I have known Carol for many of the 27 years she has been involved with this very fine organization. I have had the honor of serving on the Board of Directors for almost 9 years—half of the time she has served as its leader.
During my tenure on the Board, I have seen “up close and personal” how effective a leader she is/has been ----from connecting community resources to emerging needs, to being recognized by community leaders as the “go to” person to create/ invigorate important partnerships to address issues confronting our communities in Gallatin, Park and Meagher and Park counties.
I am grateful to Carol for her counsel and for assisting us, the Re-Entry Initiative Program Task Force of Gallatin County, in securing the necessary funds needed to write our Programs’ strategic plan. We hope to launch this program this year to help those re-entering our communities after incarceration to become productive members of our local communities. Carol’s commitment to assisting the creation of the Re-Entry Initiative Program is a prime example of her working to connect resources with emerging needs.
Happy retirement, Carol! Something tells me that we have not seen the last of you yet! Being of service certainly defines you and service to your community will be a part of your life for many years to come. I am so very grateful for that! The Rev. Roxanne Klingensmith
