Diana Winkler, a long time volunteer leader in public service, was elected president of the Thermal Belt Outreach board of directors at the groups June meeting. She had been serving as secretary-treasurer for the past year and succeeds attorney Lora Baker of Columbus as president. Business executive Bob Morgan of Tryon was elected treasurer.

Winkler has been a volunteer for Thermal Belt Outreach since moving to the area five years ago. During that time, she has worked with Outreach clients in financial crisis and taught budgeting classes to low income renters in Polk County. She previously served on the board of directors of Thermal Belt Habitat for Humanity and oversaw their two stores in Landrum. She owns Vera, a consignment shop in Landrum.

Before retiring to the region, she and her husband Bart lived in Charlotte where she was a mortgage officer with Wachovia.&bsp; She taught real estate finance at Central Piedmont Community College for six years and conducted numerous home buying seminars for realtors and low income applicants. She was also a volunteer leader for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Morgan has been a member of the Outreach board for nearly a year and headed its audit committee. A 17-year resident of Polk County, he also is a member of the Polk County Economic Development Commission. He is president and CEO of ExpressIT, a mailing service with offices in Tryon and Mill Spring.

Before moving to Tryon, Morgan was CEO of CVTV, a technology company in Chicago where he also served as president of the Joseph Sears school board and was active in the Chicago Economic Club.

A nonprofit organization located in Columbus, Thermal Belt Outreach helps Polk County citizens out of crisis situations and into self-sufficiency. It provides basic needs such as food, utilities, fuel, transportation, prescriptions, affordable housing, and access to health care to those in need. To promote self sufficiency, Outreach requires each person receiving assistance to pay a small portion of the bill for which they are seeking help. No funds are given directly to clients.

The 501(c)3 charity receives its funding through donations from individuals, organizations, businesses, churches and granting agencies.