Local News in Brief : United Way Fills National Position

Leo P. Cornelius, the president of the United Way of Los Angeles, has been named head of the organization’s national liaison council that was established to enhance relations between the top United Way national officials and local officials and volunteers, the charity has announced.

Officials said Cornelius, 53, will serve a two-year term as volunteer chair of the group’s National Professional Advisory Council, which is composed of 50 United Way officials from across the nation.

The council also advises United Way executives on local charity issues and concerns, evaluates social trends and helps identify national and local needs for funds collected by the United Way.

Cornelius, who had been head of the Philadelphia area United Way, became the president of the Los Angeles United Way in March of 1987, replacing Francis X. McNamara.