Tami Wanninger Settles in as Executive Director of Prevail, Inc.
Writer / Renee Larr
Photography Provided
Prevail, Inc. recently appointed Tami Wanninger as the new executive director. She comes to the nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for victims of crime and abuse, with more than 29 years of experience in the nonprofit world at Noble, Inc. While there, Wanninger served various roles, most recently as assistant vice president of quality assurance, customer service and
compliance.
“I oversaw all of our intake for the organization,” Wanninger says. “I handled all of our accreditation processes nationally and in states. I was the United Way liaison. I also handled the corporate compliance and governance of the organization for our board.”
Wanninger says her years at Noble helped with her transition to executive director of Prevail. She says she spent years co-mingling with other nonprofits and their employees. She also referred individuals to Prevail as needed. She says she is very much aware of Prevail and its mission.
“I’m a longtime resident of Hamilton County and we have an amazing nonprofit system here,” Wanninger says. “When I saw the role with Prevail, I knew my skill set in that nonprofit world would transfer, and it would be a natural fit for me.”
Wanninger says her first goal, and role, has been to learn from listening to and watching others at Prevail. While learning and listening, she walked away very proud of the organization and its scope of services.
“In my first 90 days here I’ve noticed that, because of our location in Noblesville, people in other areas of our county may not know as much about Prevail and our services,” she says. “I want to get out into other communities, and provide educational awareness on our services and prevention of domestic violence situations.”
Funding is also a significant topic for the future of the organization. Wanninger says Prevail is experiencing substantial funding cuts from the federal government. She says it is critical for the organization to strategically plan for these cuts in the future by determining new areas for funding.
“The last thing any of us want to do is to tell an individual experiencing abuse and trying to leave their abuser that we don’t have the funds or resources to help them,” Wanninger says. “That’s non-negotiable for me. Another non-negotiable item is our 24/7 crisis line. We have to continue that service. There is a need there, and we need to fulfill the need.”
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Wanninger says that month is critical for Prevail to get out into the community to spread the word about their services. She says clients can’t come to them voluntarily if they don’t know how they can help.
On November 9 Hotel Carmichael is hosting Spotlight on Art, benefiting Prevail alongside Children’s TherAplay and the Boys & Girls Club.
To get involved in Domestic Violence Awareness Month activities or to learn more about Prevail, visit prevailinc.org.
