Renfrew County United Way (RCUW) is pleased to announce that Sandi Heins, former mayor of the town of Renfrew and a provincial civil servant, has agreed to serve as its 2012 honorary campaign chairwoman.

Ms. Heins, who works with the Ontario Disability Support Program within the Ministry of Community and Social Services, will lead the annual United Way fundraising campaign, which kicks off today at 11 a.m. on at Pembroke’s waterfront, with a ceremony and community barbeque compliments of Giant Tiger-Pembroke and Brum’s Dairy.

“We are extremely honored to welcome Sandi to our campaign”, said Barbara Borutski, the United Way’s board member for the Killaloe/Barry’s Bay community area and chairwoman of RCUW’s campaign cabinet.

“In view of our focus on workplace campaigns, a major source of revenue through payroll deduction, it is apropos that the position of honorary campaign chair is filled by a person who is employed by one of the United Way’s principal supporters province-wide – the province of Ontario and its various ministries.

“Sandi’s intimate knowledge of and sensitivity towards the health and social challenges faced by many people in Renfrew County underscores why she will be a great asset explaining why all Renfrew County citizens who can should generously support the United Way’s efforts.”

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In accepting the position, Sandi Heins said her decision wasn’t too difficult to make.

“I believe in giving back to my community through volunteerism”, she said. “The United Way provides me with the opportunity to help an organization that is trying to tackle some very difficult and complex issues in Renfrew County in partnership with other concerned organizations. To do so successfully will require total community effort and I am proud as one community member to be able to contribute”, said Ms. Heins.

She was born, raised and educated in Renfrew County before attending the University of Waterloo. For the past 37 years she has been employed by the provincial government as a caseworker with the Ontario Disability Program (Ministry of Community and Social Services).

Ms. Heins has served her community in various volunteer capacities, including municipal politics with the town of Renfrew for 25 years. She began her political career in Nov. 1985 when she was first elected to office as a councillor for three consecutive three year terms. During the elections of 1994 and 1997, she was elected deputy reeve. In Nov. 1998, she was unanimously appointed to complete the term of the late Mayor Howard Haramis. In the subsequent election of Nov. 2000, she won a landslide victory and was elected mayor, a position she served in until Dec. 2010.

When she is not involved in community-related activities, she spends time with family at the cottage, on her passion for sports including cross-country skiing, tennis and golf, or in her flower garden.