Marny Gilluly
Vice Grand Chancellor (Administration), The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem
From a young age, Gilluly knew she wanted to pursue big dreams outside of the “traditional” career path for women. In addition to her successful career as a computer specialist for the U.S. House of Representatives, her notable accomplishments include earning her pilot’s license and running 15 marathons, including the Boston Marathon and three international races. She has also dedicated much of her time to giving back by serving on the UWF Board of Trustees and the UWF Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors, among other organizations.
How did UWF prepare you for your successful career?
Since I was married, I did not have an opportunity to enjoy campus life except for classes. Majoring in English communications enabled me to achieve success working on Capitol Hill for the U.S. House of Representatives and, after retirement from the House, working for an international non-profit charitable organization with 4,500 members, which I am still doing.
What do you consider your greatest lesson learned from UWF? Your career?
The greatest lesson learned from UWF was being able to communicate and write well. In my career, the greatest lesson learned has been how to work successfully with many different people. In the House, it involved dealing with people on both sides of the aisle. In the international organization, it has involved communicating with members from over 40 countries and dealing with issues on many different levels.
What was your motivation to remain active at UWF as an alumna?
My motivation was to give back, or forward, to an organization that gave me invaluable expertise and motivation to succeed and to go down a different path than many women.