United Way of Northern Arizona — Introducing Tempy Wessel, UWNA’s Northeast Arizona Representative

United Way of Northern Arizona is pleased to announce that Tempy Wessel, a native of Joseph City and former member of W.L. Gore & Associates, has accepted the position of Northeast Arizona Representative for UWNA.

Wessel’s family’s history in Northeast Arizona has gone back for generations, with her family originally coming to Joseph City as ranchers. They soon became involved in local, county, and state government, and Tempy’s great grandfather was a federal magistrate in Holbrook for many years.

After retiring from W.L. Gore, she and her husband, David, moved back to Joseph City, where they manage a community center that serves as a meeting place for local clubs and the Chamber of Commerce.

“This region is the place that most feels like home to me,” she said. “Being the Northeast Representative isn’t just a job; it’s my heart.”

“Tempy is invested in the success of the community and its nonprofit partners in the northeast region, and she has the skill sets to help build community and navigate the changing economic climate,” Archuleta said. “Tempy has been engaged with UWNA in the past, serving as a volunteer on the Community Investment Team for the Northeast, and has been a long-time supporter of UWNA.”

Tempy said she is looking forward to implementing a “collective impact model” that engages a network of organizations, community members, nonprofits and institutions to achieve meaningful change and meet the needs of the community.

“I’m particularly interested in promoting work that steps up for our youth and creating opportunities for them that will lead to successful futures,” she said.

UWNA wishes to thank APS, which provided significant funding for the Northeast strategic plan, and Salt River Project, which provided the grant to initially fund the Northeast Representative position.