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Read MoreMary Kay Gladbach Receives Community Service Award
Mary Kay Gladbach was awarded the 2016 Community Service Award sponsored by Commerce Bank at a luncheon held on Friday, April 1 at Norwood Hills Country Club. A grant of $10,000 funded by the William T. Kemper and Commerce Bancshares foundations was given in Gladbach’s name to Marygrove.
Robert Holmes, president and CEO of Commerce Bank St. Louis, presented the service award and grants, saying, “Mary Kay’s dedication to the community makes her an ideal choice for the community service award. She exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism in our community.”
Gladbach’s passion for helping the less fortunate was inspired by her parents and the Sisters of Mercy, who made an impression on her at a young age. Encouraged to pursue a degree in education while working at the University City Library as a teenager, and following her role as the Children’s Librarian, she eventually became a Kindergarten and first grade teacher, and principal at St. Angela Merici Catholic School. One of the founding members of Sacred Heart Kindergarten in 1964, Gladbach continues to serve as the volunteer principal.
Gladbach is currently serving in her twelfth year as president of Sacred Heart 50+, a group that provides food to the homeless, supports a mission in Bolivia and has championed the causes of several local charities. A community ambassador, she serves as secretary of the Florissant Valley Historical Society, chairs the Florissant Chapter of the St. Louis Christmas Carol Association and has been active in the Rotary Club. For more than 20 years, Gladbach served as the Chairman of the Valley of Flowers for the City of Florissant and served on boards for the Florissant Library and Florissant Old Town Partners.
Gladbach selected Marygrove, an organization for which she has been an active volunteer for more than 30 years, as the grant recipient for her Community Service Award. Founded in 1849, the mission of Marygrove is to provide quality mental health services to severely disturbed children, young adults and their families who are economically disadvantaged.
The Commerce Bank Community Service Award is dedicated to recognizing individuals who make an exceptional contribution to their community and the people who live there.
