United Way Winnipeg hands leadership ball to former Bomber

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This article was published 25/04/2023 (1222 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The United Way Winnipeg’s new leader is no stranger to being a team player.

Former Blue Bombers running back Michael Richardson is returning to the Manitoba capital to lead the charitable organization, replacing Connie Walker, who is retiring after serving as president and chief executive officer for eight years.

“I am excited, I’m thrilled. It’s an honour and privilege to become the next CEO of United Way Winnipeg,” Richardson, 53, said Tuesday.

“It’s an organization, when I worked in social service, I always admired their work, the work of the staff and volunteers and all the generous donors.”

Richardson has focused on the social-service sector since his pro football career ended.

Inspired by his upbringing in a low-income family, with grandparents who were avid volunteers, the Mississippi-born Richardson fundraised to support inner-city youth as a CFL player and devoted himself to local non-profits (including Marymound Inc. and Ka Ni Kanichihk) after leaving the sport in 1996.

His time with the Blue Bombers (1992-93, 1996) still colours his work today.

“When you’re… an athlete, what you learn right away is that you have to rely on others to get your job done — it’s a team effort. I’ve taken that right into the corporate space throughout the years,” he said.

“I’ve always believed that if we have all of the right people in the room, and we can bring those people together, we can find solutions to some major issues.

“So my intent in Winnipeg, for the United Way, is to do the same thing that I’ve done… bringing people together to have conversations on how to solve those problems and and then mobilizing that network.”

Richardson left Winnipeg for Toronto in 2018. He most recently served as the director of child welfare operations for the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

He’s happy to be coming back to Winnipeg, which he said he has always called home.

“I lived in Winnipeg longer than I lived in the United States. I arrived in Winnipeg in 1992, my whole life before me, and the city was warm, it embraced me, and made me feel welcome (and) included,” said Richardson, the 1992 CFL rookie of the year and two-time all-star.

“I felt like a true Winnipegger then, and over the years, I just fell in love with the city and the community and wanted to give back to that community the best I can.”

United Way Winnipeg board of trustees chairman Paul Norris said when the search began for a new leader began (Walker retired last fall), Richardson’s extensive experience helping others made him the unanimous choice.

“I think that people are aware of Michael Richardson’s name from his football career, but that’s not the story of Michael Richardson,” Norris said. “The story of Michael Richardson is working deep within social-serving organizations here in Winnipeg.”

As to what might change at United Way under new leadership, Norris said it remains to be seen.

“We’re very optimistic and confident in the strategies that we have, but we also know that the world is evolving around us, and with that, the United Way Winnipeg needs to evolve.”

Richardson said he wants to focus on boots-on-the-ground community engagement to get a full scope on the level of need that exists within Winnipeg’s most vulnerable communities.

“At United Way, my thinking is we need to be involved, engaged with the community and kind of understand the needs of the community, and then we come back and try to figure out: how do we how do we create a solution? Or how could we support our community in those challenging spaces?” he said.

Richardson will touch down in Winnipeg and formally take on the role May 15.

“This great organization has their next great leader,” Norris said. “We believe in Michael, and we’re here to support him.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca