FERGURSON AND COATS TO CHAIR 2017 PRAIRIELAND UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN

 

The Prairieland United Way Board of Directors is pleased to announce Mary Fergurson and Bev Coats, as the 2017 United Way Campaign Chairpersons. They invite the community to join them as NEIGHBORS UNITED. With the fundraising goal of $520,000, Prairieland United Way helps local people by raising and distributing funds for health, education and employment-related service programs in Morgan, Scott, Cass and northern Greene counties.

A life-long resident of Jacksonville, Mary Fergurson has been involved with United Way – as a donor, agency board member, and allocations panel participant – for over 30 years. She has spent most of her career in the trust and asset management business, currently serving as vice president and senior trust officer at Jacksonville Savings Bank.

A graduate of Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, Mary has been a participant in and supporter of a number of charitable, cultural, civic, and education-related activities, among them the Passavant Hospital Foundation, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Public Library Board and City Cemeteries Board of Managers, Governor Duncan Association, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, Community Summer Band, Presbyterian Day Care Center, Illinois College Fine Arts Series, and Ebenezer Cemetery Association. She also recently co-chaired the Vision 117 community engagement process and led the one-cent sales tax campaign to benefit Morgan County schools.

Mary resides in Jacksonville with her husband, Gene, who is a policy consultant with the Illinois Association of School Boards. They are the parents of three children: Brett Haney of Downs, KS; Hallie, a graduate student at University of Indianapolis; and Anna, a senior at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

Bev Coats was an Insurance Agent until her retirement (2013) with Colton, Downey and Associates for 27 years. While at Colton, Downey and Associates, she was president of the National Net/Vu organization representing 30,000 agencies across the U.S. to improve automation and standards within the Insurance Industry. In addition, she assisted with teaching an insurance class with Cincinnati Insurance Company for new agencies for five years. Bev also served on the Grinnell Mutual Insurance Company and Hanover Insurance Company Agency Advisor Councils. After retiring she felt the need to keep busy and works part time at World Travel Jacksonville.

Being part of the community is an important part of Bev’s life. She has served on Governor Duncan Association working on the annual Christmas Gala and home tour. She currently serves on the Main Street board and Diamond Grove Mausoleum board. Her true passion is the Prairieland United and served on the board for 9 years and was honored to have received the Helen Baldwin Award. Bev also received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Jacksonville Noon Rotary.

Bev is married to Glenn Coats, her biggest quiet supporter. The Coats’ are blessed with their sons Ernie and Michael, their daughter in law, Amy and five Grandchildren- Emma, Haydn, Elinor, Madalyn and Molly.

Fergurson and Coats will preside over the Prairieland United Way 2017 Corporate Kickoff Breakfast, to be held at Jacksonville Savings Bank on August 31 at 7:30 am. United Way helps more than 60,000 people annually by funding 41 programs. These programs, administered by 34 local and area not-for-profit agencies included Youth and Adult Services, Mentoring, Guidance, and Education programs, Crisis & Intervention, Health, Emergency Services, and Child Care programs.

For more information about United Way, please contact Karen Walker at 217/245-4557 or stop by the office located at the Jacksonville Municipal Building, 200 W. Douglas, Jacksonville, Illinois.


Bev Coats:

Bev Coats was an Insurance Agent until her retirement (2013) with Colton, Downey and Associates for 27 years. While at Colton, Downey and Associates, she was president of the National Net/Vu organization representing 30,000 agencies across the U.S. to improve automation and standards within the Insurance Industry. In addition, she assisted with teaching an insurance class with Cincinnati Insurance Company for new agencies for five years. Bev also served on the Grinnell Mutual Insurance Company and Hanover Insurance Company Agency Advisor Councils. After retiring she felt the need to keep busy and works part time at World Travel Jacksonville.

Being part of the community is an important part of Bev’s life. She has served on Governor Duncan Association working on the annual Christmas Gala and home tour. She currently serves on the Main Street board and Diamond Grove Mausoleum board. Her true passion is the Prairieland United and served on the board for 9 years and was honored to have received the Helen Baldwin Award. Bev also received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Jacksonville Noon Rotary.

Bev is married to Glenn Coats, her biggest quiet supporter. The Coats’ are blessed with their sons Ernie and Michael, their daughter in law, Amy and five Grandchildren- Emma, Haydn, Elinor, Madalyn and Molly.

Mary Fergurson:

A life-long resident of Jacksonville, Mary Fergurson has been involved with United Way – as a donor, agency board member, and allocations panel participant – for over 30 years. She has spent most of her career in the trust and asset management business, currently serving as vice president and senior trust officer at Jacksonville Savings Bank.

A graduate of Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, Mary has been a participant in and supporter of a number of charitable, cultural, civic, and education-related activities, among them the Passavant Hospital Foundation, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Public Library Board and City Cemeteries Board of Managers, Governor Duncan Association, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, Community Summer Band, Presbyterian Day Care Center, Illinois College Fine Arts Series, and Ebenezer Cemetery Association. She also recently co-chaired the Vision 117 community engagement process and led the one-cent sales tax campaign to benefit Morgan County schools.

Mary resides in Jacksonville with her husband, Gene, who is a policy consultant with the Illinois Association of School Boards. They are the parents of three children: Brett Haney of Downs, KS; Hallie, a graduate student at University of Indianapolis; and Anna, a senior at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

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