VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

This is the sixth in a series to introduce our many dedicated volunteers to the whole membership. As opportunity permits, we will feature volunteers from different program areas such as the gallery, history museum, folk pottery museum and others.

Barbara Mahoney

Ten years ago Barbara accepted the position of treasurer for the Center Gallery (a job she thought she would fill for a maximum of 3 years) and she‘s still at it. The gallery treasurer does all the accounting for gallery sales. She reconciles the cash drawer with sales records, makes the deposits, posts daily activity, and prepares the information necessary to pay the artists. It’s a big job with a lot of responsibility. And the job has grown as sales volume in the gallery has grown over the years. Barbara commented that gallery sales have nearly doubled since the opening of the Folk Pottery Museum due to increased numbers of visitors – especially out-of-town visitors.
Barbara’s professional background is banking operations management. That’s very detailed, exacting work, and she thrives on the detail. She finds her work with the gallery gives her something she can have ownership of, and helps to keep her skills current. She likes working behind the scenes, and volunteered for a time in the back office at Habersham County Medical Center. She first volunteered at SNCA in 1997, shortly after moving to Sautee. She participated in SNCA’s annual fund-raising auction for several years. She also volunteers in the gallery to help keep it open on weekends.
If you talk to Barbara a little while, the subject of cooking is bound to come up. She loves to cook for her family, and for and with friends. All four of her sons grew up helping in the kitchen, and are competent cooks. She likes living in this area, but does confess to missing the great seafood and ethnic markets available in South Florida.
Barbara loves the beauty of this area and the sense of community. She’s been impressed by the kindness and graciousness of people in the small town setting. She feels that her work with the gallery supports the community and the center itself, which is a benefit to our local artists, and to the economy of the community. Thanks, Barbara, for your dedication over a long period of time. By the way, gallery volunteers, she says you do a great job of recording sales in the gallery.