Sustainer Spotlight Fran Mathay

By: Hayden Pigott

Hometown: Youngstown, Ohio

Job: My career was spent in marketing communications. I specialized in strategic planning, advertising, public relations, special event planning and promotions for organizations ranging from universities and corporations to nonprofits and professional firms.

How long have you lived in Charlotte?

After graduating from Queens in 1967, I went all over the place before coming back to reside in Charlotte permanently in September 1973.

How long have you been a member of the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC)?

I joined the Junior League of Charlotte in September 1973. Before then, I was a Provisional member of the League in my hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, then joined the Leagues in Boston, San Diego and Columbus, Ohio — all before I was 28 years old when I settled in Charlotte after a divorce.

What is your current placement in the JLC?

For the past six years, I have served as the lone designer and writer of the Sustainer Monthly Newsletters developed on Mailchimp.

What is your ideal day in Charlotte?

Heading out to the tennis courts or walking four miles listening to a book through my earbuds immediately after hitting the Mailchimp “Send Button” to get the finalized Sustainer Newsletter on its way to 680 Sustainers. It’s a fleeting sense of freedom for my 78-year-old brain cells until the process of problem-solving begins again for the next issue.

What is your favorite JLC memory?

After serving four other Leagues before joining the JLC, I was pleased with how progressive the JLC was toward the working woman. In 1973 the JLC held their monthly meetings at night to accommodate all members. In my other League experiences as a working woman, none wanted to meet in the evenings. So, the working League members rarely got to vote at the day meetings since our little group met at night after the day meeting. Plus, I was amazed that the JLC provided community volunteer placements and leadership opportunities for the working women. The League has always attracted well-educated and committed volunteers and has been accommodating to everyone’s schedules.

What was your favorite JLC placement as an Active Member?

Developing and creating “Puppets and Players” in 1973 with other working women to troupe to senior facilities for a community audience often forgotten. Our program made seniors laugh with our handmade puppets that did spoofs on television soap operas along with a piano. This placement led me to become a founder of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Centers in 1980 and serve on their board until Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation (MCPR) took over their mission and facilities a few years ago. Now I serve as a senior advisor to MCPR.

How has your membership in the JLC impacted your personal and/or professional life?

The League was instrumental in my having opportunities to serve in a variety of community placements; it expanded my network of associates, friends and professional resources and trained me to take on board leadership positions in nonprofits, civic and professional organizations throughout my adult life in Charlotte. Toward the twilight of my career, I was the executive director of a transitional home for women and children in Huntersville called The Hope House Foundation.

What advice would you give to Provisional and Active Members?

Make a committed difference in your life to get out of yourself and reach out to others. My mother was a firm believer in volunteering and would repeat her mantra to me: “Get out there and get into it!”

What inspires you to stay involved with the JLC?

That is such an easy question — the camaraderie of the members with whom I interact.