Photojournalist Bill Stokes T his year the United Way brought a new style of leadership to its annual campaign. For the first time ever an entire family is leading the campaign. Dale and Cathy Becker with their three daughters and sonin-law stepped up to the challenge of running this year’s campaign as a family. The Beckers have been generous givers for many years. When Dale, a partner at Kerber, Eck & Braeckel and his wife Cathy’s name surfaced as possible campaign chairs, Emily Rabin the UW’s Director of Development, suggested that the whole family get involved. Now their daughters, Emily Becker, Associate G.M. at the Sangamo Club, Christine Becker, Contract Food Buyer at M. J. Kellner Co., Sarah (Becker) Sevener and her husband Sam Sevener, both of whom are teachers at Washington Middle School join Dale and Cathy as co-chairs in this year’s United Way Campaign. Because of the diversity of interests and occupations that each of the family members bring to the campaign, this fresh new idea for leading the UW campaign has inspired many of those involved and has caught on in a big way with the family itself. Cathy Becker likes the idea and she said, “It brings a younger generation perspective to the campaign.” This change in perspective might just be what it takes to give this year’s campaign a boost. Due to the weakness in the economy the past 3 years and changes in the corporate base in Springfield there has been a slow down in the amount UW has raised. The Beckers intend to do their best to bring the donations and pledges back to historic levels. The family has built several themes into their campaign. As a family they have always found that they are better together and so they are bringing that perspective to the United Way “These type of success stories are what we need in order to reach our goal.”