Local Community Champion Janet S. Durden Honored as 2023 Bert Hatten Community Impact Award Winner

MONROE, La. — Janet S. Durden, local community champion and President of United Way of Northeast Louisiana, has been named the 2023 Bert Hatten Community Impact Award winner. This recognition underscores her outstanding contributions and achievements in the nonprofit sector. The award was presented at the 2023 West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on Tuesday, December 5 at the West Monroe Convention Center.

The West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce recognizes that many public servants, non-profit leaders, and engaged community members leave profound and lasting impacts on the local community but are not eligible for other awards given by the Chamber. The Bert Hatten Community Impact Award seeks to recognize local community leaders who demonstrate extraordinary leadership and a legacy of profound and lasting impact to our community in the areas of education and workforce development, promotion and development of the business community, and improving the quality of life for all that live in Ouachita and surrounding parishes.

David Cole, Board Chairman of the West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce, introduced the award at Tuesday night’s event, and Amanda Hatten Edge presented the award to Durden on behalf of the Hatten family.

“We are honored to highlight the considerable achievements of a titan of the non-profit world,” said Kristopher Kelley, Executive Director of the West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce. “Janet leads an amazing team and has redefined what a local United Way can be. Our community is better because of her tireless work, and I am personally honored to count her as a friend.”

A native of Mississippi, Durden has been President of United Way of Northeast Louisiana since 1985 and with United Way for a total of 41 years. Under Durden’s leadership, United Way of Northeast Louisiana has adopted a Strategic Community Impact Plan that is tackling the region’s greatest challenges. In 2022, under Janet’s leadership, United Way of Northeast Louisiana unveiled its Financial Health Center. Located in the historic Miller-Roy Building at 1001 Desiard Street in Monroe, United Way of Northeast Louisiana’s Financial Health Center serves as the community’s hub for economic resources. Financial Health Services are accessible across the 12 parishes of Northeast Louisiana.

In 2020, ULM Women’s Symposium awarded Durden with their Legacy Award. In February 2017, Monroe Chamber of Commerce bestowed their highest recognition, the prestigious Rambin Silverstein Award to Durden. She received the Kitty Degree Humanitarian Award in 2016. In 2015, Durden was recognized with Grambling State University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award for Community Service and Leadership. She received a Master of Arts from Mississippi State College for Women.

Durden has served on numerous state and local boards of directors and is currently on the boards of St. Francis Medical Center, Louisiana Association of United Ways, and the Monroe Chamber of Commerce.

Durden and her husband Bob have been married for 28 years. Together, they have four children and six grandchildren. The Durdens are active members at First Baptist Church in West Monroe.

Daniel Taylor, United Way NELA’s current Board Chair, says that Durden’s unwavering commitment and exceptional leadership have left an indelible mark on the community.

“Not many people can boast four decades of dedicated service, and even fewer can claim to have shaped a community in the way Janet has,” said Taylor. “Beyond the longevity of her service, what truly sets Janet apart is the unparalleled way she has managed people and the organization she leads. Her unique approach, marked by compassion, integrity, and insight, has fostered an environment of collaboration and achievement. Not many leaders possess the ability to inspire and guide a team while making an impact on the community, and Janet's method is truly unmatched.”

“When I think about the meaning of this award, I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Janet,” said Blake Wheelis, local business owner and former United Way NELA Board Chair. “For nearly 40 years she has selflessly led an organization that impacts thousands of lives in this region and beyond. She has also helped hundreds of leaders become more aware of the true needs that exist and how, together, we can make a huge impact locally.”

For more information about United Way of Northeast Louisiana’s impact across the region and ways to get involved locally, visit unitedwaynela.org.

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United Way of Northeast Louisiana works with volunteers, donors, and other organizations locally to create lasting community change in the areas of Education, Income, and Health — the building blocks for a good quality of life. For more information about United Way of Northeast Louisiana, visit unitedwaynela.org, dial 211 on any landline or mobile phone (a free call 24/7), or text your zip code to 898-211 (M-F, 8-5).