Kristen Rotz
(717) 238-7365 x201 | krotz@uwp.org
Kristen Rotz is an experienced state association leader with eleven years at the helm of United Way of Pennsylvania. She believes United Way is integral to bring stakeholders together from every sector to advance solutions to community problems, and build equitable, healthy communities.
Kristen has led United Way of Pennsylvania’s growth and expanded impact, including a resurgence in UWP’s involvement in public policy advocacy. She is responsible for the launch of the ALICE project in Pennsylvania, providing all sectors a data set to understand the full economic picture of our state’s working families. UWP employs that data to advocate for working households who are struggling to make ends meet. Kristen and her team led a multi-year advocacy effort which culminated in the enactment of the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit in 2025, the first change in state tax policy to benefit working households with earned income in more than 50 years.
Kristen diversified the organization’s revenue, and strengthened alignment between the United Way network and PA 211, including the merger of PA 211, Inc. with United Way of Pennsylvania. Under her leadership, PA 211 secured its first state funding via a recurring annual appropriation, and since 2017, any Pennsylvanian can access community resources by calling, texting, chatting or searching for resources at pa211.org. She also provided leadership to the PA network through the COVID-19 pandemic, which ushered in several shifts in local United Way fundraising and impact, but highlighted the power of United Way’s ability to respond to community needs while supporting each other through the rapid change the nonprofit sector experienced in 2020.
During her career, Kristen has helped to shape changes to state law and regulations for a variety of issues ranging from how county human services are funded to alternative energy credits and tax assessment benefits for farms and forestland. Her tenure as the chief executive at two different membership organizations has been characterized by improving their financial standing and value-add service to members. She enjoys crafting strategies and mobilizing public interest advocates to engage in grassroots policy advocacy.
Kristen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communication Studies from Lynchburg College and a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership from Shippensburg University.
Kristen is a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance tax preparer for United Way of the Capital Region’s Money in your Pocket program, and she serves on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations.
