Making a Difference In Our Communities

At Leadership16, we took a moment to reflect on the events that shaped our businesses and lives since our last conference. Many members had seen unusual growth and acquired new clients. Others struggled with setbacks and challenges including floods, fires and the loss of loved ones.

The Universal Unilink family lost a dear friend with the passing of Joe Stewart in the Spring. Joe’s mission was to help anyone in need. Members will recall that Joe was always happy to talk about any problem they might have and was quick to offer a solution or research a source for an elusive product. What Members may not realize is that Joe was also active in his local community. He spent many hours organizing charity golf tournaments and volunteering at fund-raising dinners for the causes that were dear to him.

A Conduit for Aid

To commemorate Joe’s memory and continue the legacy of aid to those in need, the Universal Unilink family is instituting The Joe Stewart Foundation. This initiative is designed to be a conduit for Universal Unilink Members to report needs in their communities and deliver funds where they can best be used.

The first check for $2,000 was entrusted to Universal Unilink Member David Caplan of Caplan’s Uniforms to be delivered to the Louisiana Flood Relief Fund. Allan Fowler stated “We thank David and Brent Caplan for helping us get these much needed funds to where they can best serve this devastated community.”

For more information about The Joe Stewart Foundation or to make suggestions for future aid efforts, contact memberservices@universalpa.com

Building the Future Through Education

Joe Stewart had a tremendous impact in many lives and one of those souls, Karl Fowler, is very close to the heart of the Universal Unilink Family. Karl is the unofficial goodwill ambassador for Universal Unilink and son of founders, Allan and Gayle Fowler. Karl’s autism gives him a unique perspective on the daily happenings at the company offices. His cheerful greetings to employees and visitors alike are an unfailing reminder that this company’s strength would always be the relationships forged by friends and family.

Anyone that has met Karl Fowler knows that he has a thirst for knowledge and a delight in learning. Even at a very young age, he demonstrated an amazing memory and interest in the family business. He never forgets a name and is always reading to add to his increasing store of information on all topics ranging from culture to history.

To honor that appreciation for education and foster a culture of learning in our extended Universal Unilink family, we are announcing the Karl Fowler Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded to a full-time student that is:

• a child or grandchild of a Universal Unilink Member , or

• an employee of a Universal Unilink Member, or

• a child or grandchild of the Member’s employee.

This program is also dependent on the Member community to alert eligible students to the application process. The first scholarship recipients will be announced at the 2017 Conference. For details on student eligibility and application process go to https://universal-unilink.com/kfs.html.