Employee Feature

EMPLOYEE FEATURE

Kathy Kluesener standsin the kitchen during Volunteer Corps orientation fondly looking over the volunteers. “It’s the anniversary of Father Beiting’s death,” she says. “I can’t help but think how proud he would be.”

This is the last crop of volunteers that Kathy, who is retiring, will usher in at CAP and it marks a milestone in our organization’s history. We have benefitted from her presence since 1972 both as a volunteer and then an employee. She has served as a touchstone for those who want to learn CAP’s history and has encouraged and mentored hundreds of employees and volunteers along the way. She will be profoundly missed. If you ask anyone at CAP to identify someone who embodies the spirit of our mission, they will quickly mention Kathy. It’s not simply her longevity that has inspired so many, but it is the care and attention that she gives everyone she meets that has made such an indelible mark. Kathy is known for her ability to remember almost everyone who has walked through our doors and can provide a copious amount of details about each person she has met. A highlight of the Volunteer Program’s recent retirement party was a game of “stump Kathy” during which she was shown random photos of past volunteers and asked to identify them. She didn’t miss a single one.

When she first arrived in Appalachia she thought that she would be here for six months. She has stayed for nearly 50 years. “I didn’t realize what God had in store for me,” Kathy explains.

Kathy Kluesener and Kathleen (Ford) Leavell, 1976-78, serving at CAP’s Sunshine Center in the late 1970s (top left). Kathleen and Kathy today (bottom left). Kathy and her husband, Tony (top right). Volunteer Program teammates Maria Hartz, 2017, Bridget McCormack-Finley, 2010-11, Amy Schill, 2003-05, Jenny King, 2008-10, and Kathy (bottom right).

When she first arrived in Appalachia she thought that she would be here for six months. She has stayed for nearly 50 years. “I didn’t realize what God had in store for me,” Kathy explains. “I grew up hearing about President Johnson’s war on poverty and I thought I was going to be a “do-gooder” but I realized that I was receiving so much. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect that the people that I was coming to serve were going to give me life.” She notes that her ideas about faith, service, and compassion were something her family valued, but her experiences at CAP really refined those beliefs. I feel that CAP allowed me to grow and brought people into my life to nurture that seed that was planted many years ago.”

When asked what she is proudest about during her career Kathy falls silent. After thinking for a while she responds, “I’m probably proudest that my kids got it. They just got it.” During her 40+ year marriage to Tony, 1972-73, they have tried to provide their children with opportunities that reflect CAP’s values of faith, compassion, and service. All five of her children have served in some capacity and have gone on to have service-oriented careers in education and medicine. Kathy’s oldest son recently shared that, “There’s something sad about you not being at CAP after you retire, mom. CAP has been your life, it’s what you’re about.” She told him that he’s right, that her life will look very different. It will be an adjustment for us too. While we will miss her daily presence, we know that we have her continued support through prayer, encouragement, and maybe even a little community volunteering from time to time.