Danielle Randall, Harvey County United Way secretary
By Sheila G. Kelley, Development Coordinator
Question: Where did you grow up and what was your family life like?
Answer: Although I was born in Winfield, Kansas, and spent my first two years there, I consider myself a lifelong Newtonian. I have one sister, Michelle, and we grew up just south of Newton on three acres. It was really the best of country living coupled with the conveniences of suburban life. My dad, Dan Randall, was a Newton High School teacher and basketball coach and spent his summers farming on the family farm in western Harvey County. My mom was a banker and somehow managed to keep our home running smoothly while working full-time. We also had foster children in and out of our home most of my growing up years. Our home was busy but very happy.
Question: Who have been your strongest influences in life?
Answer: My mother, Susan Randall Bradrick, has always been the strongest influence in my life. She quietly and fiercely lived a life of faith and invested so much of her time in family, friends, and her community. She modeled unconditional love and acceptance for our family. She didn’t necessarily have an easy life, but I never heard her complain.
Both of my parents and grandparents taught us to work hard and to never give up. When my dad wasn’t working his daily job of teaching, he was often farming, coaching, or working at the church. My mother worked full-time almost my entire life plus volunteered on different boards, as a Bigs in Schools, as a counselor at our local pregnancy care center and at our church. She was well known in our local business community and was the first female officer at First Bank of Newton. We were taught from a very young age that you can do anything you want to so long as you are willing to work hard. If we showed an interest in something, our parents made sure we had every opportunity to try it. But, once we started something, we weren’t allowed to quit when things got difficult. We were taught perseverance and hard work are often the keys to success.
Question: What led you to your career?
Answer: My career has recently taken an exciting new turn. After working as a legal assistant for the same law firm for 25 years, I took a position with a local independent insurance agency, Krueger Insurance. Although I never imagined myself in the insurance industry, I am so excited about the opportunity to work in a customer service-related field. I am a people person and I love the contact I have with our customers. I also have more opportunities to get involved in our community. My “Second Act” is sure to be full of exciting new challenges and rewarding opportunities.
Question: How would friends and acquaintances describe you?
Answer: I hope my friends would describe me as kind, encouraging, fiercely independent (bordering on stubborn), forgiving, loyal and open minded.
Question: With so many volunteer opportunities in the community, why did you choose to be involved with Harvey County United Way?
Answer: My mother was involved with HCUW for more than 20 years before her death – serving on and chairing the Board, chairing the Community Investments Committee, as a volunteer on various committees and as a volunteer with some of our partner agencies. As I was raising my children, I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps once I had more time to volunteer. I truly love United Way’s mission to improve the education, income, and health of Harvey County residents. I believe everyone in Harvey County has been impacted, either directly or indirectly, by our work.
Question: What’s the one thing you want people to know about HCUW?
Answer: I believe this Mr. Rogers quote most accurately describes what I love about HCUW – “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”
There are so many unsung heroes who donate to or volunteer with HCUW, working together to respond to the needs of our community. The impact we can have, collectively, to leave this community a better place than we found it is an overwhelming responsibility and privilege that HCUW embraces.