Cathy Gallagher – March 2022
Over the last months, WVGS has honored a variety of volunteers and experiences, this month we have chosen to honor one more kind of volunteer. Generally, 
we are less likely to regularly honor those people who are willing to take leadership positions: we rightly think the job itself is the reward.
Being willing to stand up and lead is to take responsibility for not only a task or a project, but for the public success or failure of the organization you are leading. It’s pretty rewarding when successes come your way but definitely weighty when it doesn’t work out so well. Leadership requires one to learn things you’ve never done before, have no talent at, and be willing to make decisions that affect the present and future WVGS.
Our honoree this month is Cathy Gallagher. She has just successfully led the first major in-person event we’ve done since COVID – our 2022 Seminar; but that’s just one project. Cathy has also led two SIGs, Canada for eleven years and Writing Your Family History for seven AND has been President twice. When I asked for nominations from all of you for volunteers to honor, Cathy received nominations for each one of these projects. For the record, Cathy has also been 2nd V.P, Nominating Committee Chair, Publicity Committee Chair, Policies and Procedures Committee Member, Education Committee Member, Instructor, Aide and part of the Speakers Bureau.
Cathy grew up in Massachusetts, got her college degree in History and Education. She then had a long career in Sales Management in the education, travel and toy industries. She was President of the New England Toy Representative Association long before she was President of WVGS.