After my husband and I got married, we joined the Peace Corps as one of the first married couples. We were in Puerto Rico training to go on to Peru when we found out I was pregnant. The Peace Corps sent us home because they were not equipped to deal with a pregnant woman in Peru. I got involved with raising our kids and wasn't in the workplace for a number of years and in 1982, I became a Coro fellow.
Deb Peterson writes: After my husband and I got married, we joined the Peace Corps as one of the first married couples
Coro fellow spreads efforts across spectrum
By Deb Peterson
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/11/2008
Gerty O'Leary, director of training for the nonprofit Coro Leadership Center
With all that nursing background, how did you ever get involved with the Coro Leadership Center?
After my husband and I got married, we joined the Peace Corps as one of the first married couples. We were in Puerto Rico training to go on to Peru when we found out I was pregnant. The Peace Corps sent us home because they were not equipped to deal with a pregnant woman in Peru. I got involved with raising our kids and wasn't in the workplace for a number of years and in 1982, I became a Coro fellow.
What made you decide to do that?
My kids were growing up and I was fortunate enough to meet one of the founders of Coro, Don Fletcher, and I liked his dream, which was to create a breakthrough in democracy. One of the main goals of Coro is to prepare people for effective and ethical leadership in the public affairs arena.
What was one of your early endeavors as a Coro fellow?
I became a consultant to William Symes, president of the Monsanto Fund. I worked on initiating public-private partnerships and wound up working directly with then-President Ronald Reagan's Task Force on Public-Private Partnerships and the St. Louis Community Development Agency. We created Step-Up St. Louis and the Interfaith Partnership.
You then went on to lead the Interfaith Partnership, didn't you?
Yes, I was the executive director for five years. We worked with leaders from all faiths to foster dialogue and collaboration. We also coordinated national efforts and were called on to help open communication during the '93 flood here, and then we were asked to go into Oklahoma City to help them after the bombing in 1995.
You've worked with Coro off and on in a variety of capacities since 1982. Can you tell us about something else you did outside of Coro?
I worked for Southwestern Bell TeleCommunity Centers for about seven years, from 1993 to 2000. That actually came about from a Coro fellowship I led. Southwestern Bell was looking for a way to invest in a technology project and the fellows came up with the idea of opening the TeleCommunity Centers with public access to technology. I was on the original design team and became the statewide project consultant and training director. Some 96,000 people were trained in introductory computer technology through the centers.
How many regional Coro centers are there and where are they?
Outside of St. Louis there are centers in Cleveland, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh and San Francisco.
What is O'Leary-Brokaw Associates?
It's a business my husband and I co-founded. We provide consulting services to corporations and public agencies in a wide range of areas and industries for such things as fair employment, management selection and development, employee training and performance appraisals.
Where do you live?
After raising our children in Clayton, we live in Herculaneum. I love it there. Our house overlooks the river. It's absolutely gorgeous. We built seven decks!
What was the last, best book you read?
"Seeking St. Louis: Voices from a River City," edited by Lee Ann Sandweiss. It's a compilation of essays and it's wonderful.
What do you drive?
A 2000 pearl — that sounds prettier than white, doesn't it? — Lexus.
