Kathy Sullivan with Theresa Kiernan and Karl Bjarke at the Morgan Hill Leadership Class of 2016 Graduation.
Yes, That Kathy Sullivan
Written By Robin Shepherd
It takes a certain kind of person with a rare blend of kindness and moxie to be a career nurse. Kathy Sullivan’ s on that list, with 43 years as an RN to her credit. She began her healthcare career as an emergency / trauma nurse and capped it off as a Training Supervisor for Public Health. In between, she worked as a Health Facilities Evaluator Supervisor, investigating nursing home and hospital complaints to ensure regulatory compliance.
When the name Kathy Sullivan comes up around town, and it comes up A LOT, it’ s important to let folks know WHICH Kathy you’ re talking about. The tall blonde with the big smile who is often spotted carrying the Chamber’ s equally tall scissors for yet another ribbon-cutting ceremony in Morgan Hill. Yes, That Kathy Sullivan.
Kathy is a Morgan Hill resident and the proud mother of two adult children, plus two grandchildren whom she lovingly refers to as“ the most beautiful and exceptional creatures to grace this planet.”
In her so-called retirement, Kathy invests her time and talent in two local nonprofits, the American Association of University Women( AAUW) and the Morgan Hill Downtown Association. She was elected to a second term on the MHUSD Personnel Commission and also serves on the Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization.
Her community involvement began years ago in the education sector. After serving as Home and School Club president at several schools, Kathy served for eight years on the Morgan Hill Unified School Board( MHUSD). Other roles include Vice President and then President of the Santa Clara County School Board Association, and delegate for the California School Board Association.
Kathy has been a member of the American Association of University Women( AAUW) for over ten years. She also serves as an Ambassador and a member of the Educational Committee of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce. In her role as Vice President of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association( MHDA), she liaises with the Chamber board.
Mushroom Mardi Gras staff and volunteers know Kathy from her ongoing active participation in one of Morgan Hill’ s signature annual events. She is also a Friend of the Morgan Hill Library and writes a monthly column about community happenings for Morgan Hill Life.
Fellow volunteers can relate all too well when Kathy confesses, unabashedly,“ Needless to say, I do not spend a lot of time cleaning my house!” That’ s been especially true in 2016, when Kathy participated in Morgan Hill’ s Leadership program on a scholarship funded by AAUW Morgan Hill. Here’ s her story...
PHOTO ON THIS PAGE BY ROBIN SHEPHERD, OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEADERSHIP MORGAN HILL
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016 gmhtoday. com