Surprise was the look on Mary Dries’ face as she was presented with the Anne Banning Leadership Award by Assistance League® Minneapolis/St. Paul at a recent chapter meeting.
In her eight years as a member volunteer of Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul, Mary has always been a true professional, handling many challenging situations with skill and grace. She has been committed, involved and demonstrated strong, but flexible leadership.
Mary willingly steps up to lead and participates cheerfully in all areas of the Chapter. She often asks “what can I/we do to help” whether it is to a member, to a committee or to a community partner. She strives to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and that their contributions are valued. She recognizes strengths in others and encourages them to take on new challenges.
Mary conveys a sense of, “We’ve got this.” She transitioned easily to the virtual formats and has consistently been able to provide key information, recommendations and direction to ensure the success of our chapter. One of the nominations stated, “Never have I seen her conduct herself more professionally than when this pandemic began impacting our chapter, our members, and those we serve.”
In countless meetings with community partners, presentations to potential grantors, celebrations for teacher grant recipients and other community events, Mary is always professional and thoughtful in her comments as she represents the mission and values of our chapter to the community. The strong relationships we enjoy with our community partners have been nurtured under her leadership and position us to continue to fulfill our mission.
While Mary is currently serving a second term as President of the Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter, she has served in many roles in the past. These positions include President-Elect and Treasurer as well as Finance Committee Chair, Operation School Bell® Food for Kids Chair and Operation School Bell® Links to Learning Chair.
