Most Engaged Volunteer Award KATHY LEONARD

By Andrea Busche

TheMost Engaged Volunteer Award is given to a woman who goes above and beyond and works tirelessly in the region for the community.

This year’s winner is Kathy Leonard, who has been volunteering her time in a variety of capacities since she was a teenager. Leonard was nominated for this award by Liz Patronas-Abrahamson, a volunteer coordinator at St. Luke’s hospital — one of the places Leonard volunteers.

In her nomination, Patronas-Abrahamson shared, “Kathy is a dedicated volunteer and has been a huge part of the volunteer department, and most recently the COVID vaccine clinic.

“Having Kathy on our volunteer team allows staff to focus more time on patient care. All of our volunteers are truly our daily heroes, each and every one of them. Thank you, Kathy, for being especially flexible during COVID-19, and for being an amazing and much-appreciated volunteer at St. Luke’s.”

An early start

Leonard, who was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, started volunteering at an early age, after being inspired by her dad.

“I can remember my dad teaching Sunday school, and he also helped out in the soup kitchen,” she said. “He was really a role model for me.”

As a teenager, Leonard volunteered in the nursery at her church, and later as a candy striper in a hospital.

Career

Leonard earned a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from the University of Minnesota and later earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She moved to Duluth in 1976.

The entirety of Leonard’s career was spent in dental hygiene, both as a hygienist, along with teaching dental hygiene at the college level. She taught at the University of Minnesota, the University of Oklahoma and UMD. Leonard officially retired in 2020.

Volunteer resumé

Leonard enjoyed utilizing her skills and talents in the dental field to give back. She volunteered as a curriculum consultant with the American Dental Association for 20 years.

Additionally, Leonard began volunteering at St. Luke’s in

1995 and continues her work there to this day. She began at the triage desk and has subsequently volunteered in many other areas at St. Luke’s, including the breast center, gift shop, COVID clinic, human resources, Building A (where she worked in the surgery center and main entrance), and she has also rocked babies.

Leonard has helped build a house alongside Habitat for Humanity. She is a former member of the Junior League of Duluth. And she currently serves as a junior warden at her church, St. Paul’s Episcopal.

For Leonard, this work is highly enjoyable — particularly the social aspects.

“I respect and appreciate all the extraordinary volunteers I work with,” she said. “We just bond, and we have so much fun together.”

Family and hobbies

Leonard lives in Duluth’s Congdon Park neighborhood. Her late husband, Edward, passed away in 2015. Together, they created a blended family, including three adult daughters and five grandchildren, whom she sees as often as she can.

In her spare time, Leonard loves to hike and golf. She has participated in a golf league through Nemadji Golf Course in Superior for 25 years.

Advice

For those looking to give back to their community, Leonard has plenty of encouraging words.

“Any little act of volunteering is appreciated,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be big. It’s very easy to do, and it’s fun. I just really enjoy it, and it’s very rewarding. I think we all have to do what we can to make the world a better place.”

Award

Leonard was surprised to receive the Most Engaged Volunteer Award during the Rosie Awards event.

“It’s hard to put into words how I feel,” she said. “But it’s an honor. There were so many deserving people worthy of this award.” D