CARIBOU, Maine — Mary Harrigan, executive director of the Jefferson Cary Foundation for nearly two decades, has retired to spend more time with family.
Harrigan is the wife of longtime Cary Medical Center Emergency Department physician Dan Harrigan, MD. In addition to establishing the executive director position and managing a volunteer board of directors, she has helped to build an endowment fund of more than $600,000 and total assets of nearly $900,000.
Throughout her career with the foundation Harrigan coordinated capital campaigns raising more than $1 million for the Center for Women and Children’s Health, the Women’s Imaging Center and the Jefferson Cary Cancer Center. She began as a member of the board of directors and was involved with the foundation’s first campaign, which led to the creation of the Chan Center.
Harrigan also coordinated the Cary Classic Benefit Golf Tournament, which is now in its 35th year. Pam Scheppele, who served as president of the foundation board during most of her tenure, said Harrigan brought a steady hand and an organized approach to her work.
“Mary was very meticulous about acknowledging donors, keeping accurate records and making sure to remain on top of our investments and other financial issues,” Scheppele said. “She was very dedicated to her work and has certainly established a legacy upon which we can build for generations to come.”
Harrigan worked to establish the Tree of Life displayed in the main lobby of the hospital, which combines images of bronze and brass to create a warm and elegant appearance. Donors reaching $1,000 in donations to the foundation receive a leaf on the tree. Larger donations are recognized with stones that surround the tree. The effective recognition has been inspirational for many donors who make donations in memory or in honor of individuals.
Peter Doebener, now president of the foundation board, said Harrigan has been so dedicated to her work that she will be hard to replace and will be missed.
“Cary Medical Center has this tradition of family,” said Doebener, who also sits on the board of directors at Pines Health Services. “The Jefferson Cary Foundation has also taken on that sort of culture, and over the years with a very solid board and where many of the directors have served for years you can’t help but establish some powerful relationships.
“We have come to rely on Mary to guide the ship, often through challenging economic times and she has set a very steady course,” Doebener said. “We wish her the very best as she now gets to spend more time with her own family and celebrate a new grandchild. As an organization we are very grateful for her leadership.”
With uncertain times ahead, particularly for rural hospitals in America, the success of the Jefferson Cary Foundation has provided Cary Medical Center with the ability to add new infrastructure and grow services, including the new Jefferson Cary Cancer Center and the Women’s Imaging Center.
Kris Doody, RN, CEO of Cary and Pines, said Harrigan can leave her position knowing she has had a major impact on the future of the hospital.
Tami Kilcollins
(Courtesy of Cary Medical Center)
“Having this permanent endowment now established and building towards $1 million, Mary has created a legacy that we can now nurture over the coming years that will be a great asset for the hospital providing additional financial support to meet a growing demand for services,” said Doody, who also sits on the foundation board.
“She has also built great credibility and trust in our generous donors which is a critical factor in securing their future support.”
Tami Kilcollins, formerly with the public relations office at Cary, has become the foundation’s new executive director, and began work in her new position in May.
For more information on the foundation, contact Kilcollins at (207) 493-4849 or online at carymedicalcenter.org.
Submitted by the Community Relations and Development Office of Cary Medical Center.
