J.R. Armstrong said he will “sing and dance” if that’s what it takes to reach this year’s United Way of West Central Mississippi fundraising goal.

Armstrong, an accounting partner at May and Company, and Linda Fondren, a local gym owner, will lead the agency in its campaign to gather $1,400,000 for the agency. This year’s goal is $15,000 less than in 2010, when a total of $1,354,946 was raised. The goal in 2010 was $1,415,000 million.

“As a chairman, I want to meet the campaign goal,” said Armstrong. “I want that $1.4 million in the coffers.”

Fondren was out of town Wednesday, when the campaign chairmen and their 14-member cabinet were introduced, but said, “I am looking forward to another successful United Way campaign. We will do a wonderful job and seek more dollars that will change people’s lives.”

This year’s campaign will feature two chairman, a first for the agency. Organizers felt “two heads were better than one,” said Tami Milazzo, who is employed by the United Way as its campaigns coordinator.

The campaign will kick off with a Pacesetters drive July 6 and will run through Oct. 31. The Pacesetters are 10 businesses and the Vicksburg Warren School District, Vicksburg Catholic School and Hinds Community College that give the campaign a head start.

This year’s theme is “Hands Across Our Community.”

“I see it as a symbolism of our community reaching out,” Armstrong said. “The United Way logo is a hand.”

Executive Director Barbara Tolliver feels confident about this year’s campaign.

“I saw energy in the room,” she said after Wednesday’s meeting. “I saw laughter. I saw something that said to me, ‘It’s going to be OK. Don’t be afraid.’ I always have that fear. It just goes with leading a fundraiser and an organization.”

The 14-member cabinet will lead 11 campaign divisions. Each division adjusted its goals this year.

The largest decrease is in the Large Firms division, from $765,000 to $703,000. The largest increase is in the Local Government division, which is aiming to raise $40,000, up from $25,000.

“The economy is a big factor,” Tolliver said, adding that people tend to give in the wake of natural disasters.

This year has brought deadly tornadoes and an historic flood.

“We saw giving escalate during Hurricane Katrina,” she said, “so I think sometimes people forget what we do with their money and that we actually help real people. Sometimes disaster is — I don’t want to say that it’s good — but it kind of helps people to see that organizations are doing what they should be doing.”

The United Way of West Central Mississippi, founded in 1953, has 21 member agencies to which funds are distributed.

Member agencies

• American Red Cross

• Boy Scouts, Andrew Jackson Council

• Cary Christian Center

• Central Mississippi Prevention Services Inc.

• Child and Parent Center

• Christian Volunteer Service

• Community Council

• Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi

• Good Shepherd Community Center

• Grace Christian Counseling Center

• Haven House

• HIV Services Inc.

• Magnolia Speech School

• MIDD-West

• The Salvation Army

• Vicksburg Family Development

• Warren County Children’s Shelter

• Warren County Habitat for Humanity

• Warren-Yazoo Mental Health Service

• We Care Community Services

• YMCA

At a glance

• J.R. Armstrong — Has been a United Way Donor Investment Life Influencing panel member, Donor Investment Executive Committee auditor and education chairman. He is an incoming board member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and Vicksburg Kiwanis Club. Armstrong is treasurer of the Warren County Mississippi State University Alumni Association and is a PAWS Rescue board member. He and his wife, Alissa, have one son.

• Linda Fondren — Is on the United Way board and has been an account manager. She is on the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce executive board, and the River Region Medical Center and Southern Cultural Heritage Center boards. Fondren is owner of Shape Up Sisters. She is a certified personal trainer. She and husband, Jim, have a daughter and granddaughter.