News
January 24, 2018Community leader Wallace Altes joins United Way as Interim President and CEO
The United Way of the Greater Capital Region Executive Committee has named Wallace Altes interim President and CEO effective immediately.
Altes has more than 30 years of strategic business development experience including leading his own human resource consulting firm; directing a large and complex business association; serving as executive counsel to the area’s largest public relations firm; returning to the consulting arena to provide policy guidance to a select group of executives; and serving on the boards of a bank and an HMO/insurance company.
Wally will bring great leadership and stewardship to this role,” said UWGCR board chair Brian O’Grady. “The United Way’s partnership with hundreds of local companies and business leaders aligns with Wally’s expertise and will provide stability during our “search.”
From 1990 to 2002, Altes served as President and CEO of the then Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce, leading an organization of 2,600 member businesses whose employee count exceeded 80,000. The Chamber became the third largest in New York State and received accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce, a level of achievement reached by only 10% of chambers. Altes and the Chamber led the effort to brand the area as Tech Valley, a name now in common usage and which captures the growing technological research and development occurring in the Greater Capital Region.
Altes is a past board member of the United Way and is energized to lead the organization during this transition.
“I’ve always been a big supporter of United Way and its mission. I believe United Way makes a difference every day in local communities through our support of 50 funded agencies. We are focused on creating collaboration amongst individuals, government, businesses, academia, health agencies, faith-based groups and nonprofits for the common good.”
