United Way of Lewis County Executive Director Annie Oien will move into a new position with another impactful nonprofit with the support of her current employer.
In the meantime, the local United Way will welcome back a familiar face — longtime former Executive Director Debbie Campbell, who has returned on an interim basis as the community prepares to celebrate the completion of the United Learning Center in downtown Centralia.
The United Way of Lewis County announced Friday that Oien has decided to move forward with a new job as the business development officer with the Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council, also known as Pac Mtn.
Now, the charitable organization has brought back Campbell to ensure a trusted and tested hand is at the reins as it looks for new leadership and moves forward with the opening of the United Learning Center (ULC).
“We can have the opportunity to look for a new executive director but feel secure that everything is operating as usual in the office,” United Way Board of Directors President Angie Brown told The Chronicle during an interview on Friday.
According to Brown, Campbell will begin work immediately and simultaneously with Oien over the coming weeks before Oien’s last day at the beginning of April.
Brown added that the United Way is fully supportive of Oien’s move to Pac Mtn and suggested the move came in part because of Oien’s desire to focus more on programs run by the workforce development nonprofit.
“Annie just got an opportunity to take it and run with it,” Brown said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for her.”
Oien will also continue to help the local United Way with the final steps in completing the United Learning Center as needed.
Campbell said her time in the interim position will likely be short and, according to Brown, the United Way of Lewis County will “be very proactive in finding a new executive director.” An application process for the role is expected to roll out soon.
During an interview, the two joked about Campbell previously saying she would never return after retirement. But it seems Brown was able to coax Campbell back into the action by first requesting that the former executive director help organize the ULC ribbon-cutting ceremony that is expected later this spring.
“I’ve been a United Way person since 1981,” Campbell said of the year she began volunteering. “I believe in what this organization does. So it felt OK to say ‘yes’ to a very short period of interim.”
Oien took over as executive director of the local United Way in early 2024 after the resignation of Christian Bruhn, who came on board after Campbell's retirement from the job in the fall of 2021.
During her time in the top spot, Oien was largely responsible for overseeing the construction of the ULC and, according to a news release from the local United Way, helped continue the organization's work on flood relief and early learning programs.
“Annie has been a passionate advocate for Lewis County Families,” Brown wrote in a news release. “We are grateful for her leadership and the strong foundation she leaves behind.”
Before Oien’s tenure, Campbell served as executive director for roughly 22 years, officially starting in the role in 1999.
Campbell became well known in her role with the local organization for helping organize the United Way’s response to the 2007 flood, and others afterward, by helping create the organization’s Flood Relief Fund and disbursing relief money to residents and businesses all over Lewis County. The fund remains an important part of local flood relief to this day and was most recently mobilized largely in East Lewis County after Cowlitz River flooding inundated the communities in and around Packwood and Randle in December.
The Chronicle will announce more details about the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the ULC as they are made available by organizers.
The ULC represents years of partnership among the City of Centralia, United Way of Lewis County, Discover! Children’s Museum, and Boys and Girls Club to invest in the area’s youngest learners. Bezos Academy Centralia will bring a tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool to downtown, serving about 80 children in four classrooms in Centralia.
According to the news release, United Way of Lewis County remains deeply engaged in several major community initiatives, including:
• Expanding early learning access through the United Learning Center
• Supporting families through the Bezos Academy preschool partnership
• Growing literacy through the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
“These projects represent years of collaboration and commitment from our community,” Brown said. “Our work is moving forward, and we are incredibly optimistic about what lies ahead.”
The organization emphasized that United Way of Lewis County remains financially stable.
“Transitions are a natural part of strong organizations,” Brown added. “Our board, staff, and partners are united in continuing this work. The future of United Way of Lewis County is bright.”
