O’Fallon man to lead United Way fundraising effort in Illinois

The Illinois Division of United Way of Greater St. Louis has announced Ryan Russell Kemper, partner at Thompson Coburn LLP, as the 2016 fundraising campaign chair.

Kemper of O’Fallon has served various roles with the charitable organization in the past, including as a member of the auxilary board of directors, executive committee, and campaign team.

His division aids more than 100,000 people in the Clinton, Monroe, Randolph, and St. Clair counties annually. Kemper’s predecessor, Patrick E. Smith, Sr., raised $1.43 million for the 2015 campaign, which contributed to United Way of Greater St. Louis’s most successful campaign yet with $74.3 million raised.

The funds from the Illinois Division help more than 30 health and human services organizations in the area. Kemper said he hopes that such assistance will provide “lasting change for communities in the metro-east.”

Kemper will kickoff this year’s campaign with the division’s annual golf scramble on Sept. 8.

This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 10:45 AM with the headline "O’Fallon man to lead United Way fundraising effort in Illinois."