Gregg Houck

Headshot of Senior Director of Community Impact, Gregg Houck.
Senior Director of Community Impact

Biography:
Gregg joined UWTC in December 2021 after 8 years of leadership at YMCAs in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Ithaca. He is a proud graduate of both Tompkins Cortland Community College and the State University of New York College at Cortland (Go Red Dragons! Sorry, Ithaca College fans). His professional passions include youth and family programming, diversity, equity, and inclusion advocacy, community-centered philanthropy, and non-profit service. Gregg has spent much of his life here in the Finger Lakes enjoying all that our region has to offer, especially wine, theatre, and natural areas. Family is the central focus of his world beyond work, especially his nieces and nephews. 

Gregg's Why:
My childhood hero, Jim Henson, once said "When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there." My goal has always been to make the world more like Sesame Street; a place where we focus on community, building connections with the people in our neighborhoods - where we lead from a place of empathy and equity to have a positive impact on the future of the places we call home. I believe this to be the aim of the United Way; especially here in Tompkins County which is why I took the opportunity to join this team.

Causes Important to Gregg:
- Supporting survivors of childhood abuse/trauma
- Advocating for LGBTQ+ rights 
- Promoting literacy, especially in early childhood
- Preserving democracy and voting rights
- Connecting youth with nature through outdoor recreation