February 2009 - Junior League of Minneapolis

85 LEAGUERS: KERRY MAHONEY
DEFINING VARIOUS YEARS OF FIRSTS
By Johanna Merrill Price
FUN FACTS
Joined the League: 2003
Future Board Position: Recording Secretary for 2009-
10 League year
Hometown: Andover, MN
Education: Undergraduate degree from
the University of Minnesota
Two children: Connor, 4, and Kate, 2.
In her short six years in the Junior League of Minneapolis, Kerry Mahoney has already led a New Member Class, chaired a committee and next
year she’ll serve on the Board of Directors as Recording Secretary.
Kerry said, “I look back on the last six years, and I’ve learned so much from the League; from gaining leadership skills to learning about nonprofits
to fundraising. I’ve gained so much experience that will help me in the future with not only volunteering, but also in my career.”
In addition to the heavy time commitment of chairing a committee, Kerry is a full-time sales manager for a manufacturer of fiber distribution
systems, mom to two small children and wife to her husband Paul, an attorney.
“I’m very good at multitasking, but there are days that it’s very challenging staying on top of things. But I have good memory, and I’m an
organized person. I also have a very supportive husband. If I have a League commitment, he’s there to take care of the kids. He was actually the
one who pushed me to put myself up for a board position. He was my biggest supporter when I was unsure about taking that on. “
A Minnesota native, Kerry joined the League in 2003. “Some friends of mine and I had been thinking about doing it for a few years, and I finally
just decided to join on my own. I had volunteered through my sorority in college, and wanted to find an outlet to do more volunteer work.”
Her first placement was The Clothes Line, the League’s former consignment store. Her second and third active years she belonged to the New
Member Committee, first as a core group leader and then as the assistant new member chair, where she was in charge of trainings for the new
members.
For the past two years, Kerry has been on the Special Events Gifts & Grants (SEGG) committee. Last year she was the director of special events;
this year she is the SEGG chair. Kerry said, “I like to plan and coordinate events. If I had to pick a career outside of what I‘m doing now, I would
be an event planner. It’s fun to have that outlet as a volunteer. In regards to the gifts and grants side, I didn’t have a lot of experience in that before
joining SEGG, so it’s been an opportunity for me to learn more about grant writing and raising money for the annual fund.”
Kerry said that one of the contributions she is most proud of occurred last year when she was director of special events. SEGG achieved their
fundraising goal of $50,000. She also reflected proudly on the year she planned training for new members. “Being a part of that and helping retain
the majority of new members who had come on board that year was very fulfilling.”
When she’s not volunteering or working, Kerry likes to golf, read, cook and travel (though she said that she doesn’t get to travel as much as she
used to now that she has kids). Her favorite destination is Europe (specifically Paris), and her dream trip is a vacation with her husband to Italy.
Kerry is a model Leaguer, who exhibits commitment to the community and the JLM. She said, “I’ve really enjoyed my time with the League, which
is why I think in part I’m able to manage it all so well. The friends that I’ve made the past six years are some of my closest. It’s been one of the
best experiences I’ve had.”
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