Sue Mach, chapter administrator of Legatus’ Lincoln, NE Chapter, was honored with the 2020 National Chapter Administrator of the Year award at the 2021 Legatus Summit East held in Palm Beach, FL, in January. Ken Darnell, Legatus’ Central Region director, had recommended Mach for the award, believing she was deserving of the honor because she “exudes a warmth and enthusiasm for Legatus and its vision,” was popular with Lincoln Chapter members, and was “truly the lifeblood of the Chapter.” He also praised her efficiency and organization.
Mach, a resident of Wahoo, a Lincoln suburb, became chapter administrator in 2014 after going to a Legatus event as a guest with her husband to hear a talk by Elizabeth Lev, a Catholic art historian. The Lincoln Chapter she serves has 72 members and was founded in 2005.
What do your responsibilities entail as chapter administrator?
I devote half of my time to being an administrative assistant and the other half to event planning. Our Chapter has an officer committee, a program committee, and a membership committee. I handle all the details related to their meetings, including preparing agendas, planning meetings, and handing the follow-up related to meetings.
I also coordinate our monthly Chapter events. I arrange for locations and speakers, assist our speakers with travel arrangements and audiovisual needs, plan meals, arrange seating, and do whatever else is needed to make these events a success.
Who are a few of your recent speakers?
We’ve had Paul Voss, a leadership coach who has spoken to Legatus audiences before; Curtis Martin, founder and CEO of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS); and Jennifer Roback Morse of the Ruth Institute, who discusses the harmful effects of the Sexual Revolution. Upcoming speakers include Mike McCartney, who also speaks on leadership, and how to establish forums within a chapter.
How did the pandemic affect your Chapter’s member participation?
We had to work especially hard to navigate through COVID-19 and keep our membership engaged. We had to postpone some events, and we modified others to keep people as comfortable and as safe as possible.
One adjustment was that we began livestreaming our event Masses and speakers, as about half of our membership only wanted to participate in them virtually. Additionally, those attending virtually had the option of stopping by the event locations and picking up their meals to eat at home while they watched the events. These adaptations proved successful, as 80 percent of our membership continued to participate in events. Overall, 92 percent of our members saw their participation in Legatus as beneficial and renewed their memberships.
What special events are planned for this year?
Members will have the option of joining a bus trip to The Cloisters on the Platte in Gretna, a retreat center established by Joe Ricketts, former CEO and chairman of TD Ameritrade and owner of the Chicago Cubs. Ricketts attended a Jesuit retreat decades ago that changed his life. He established the retreat center as a way to offer the Jesuit retreat experience to others. He is a major philanthropist.
We will also be having the 15th anniversary celebration of our Chapter. We’re actually celebrating it in our 16th year because this event, as well as our bus trip, was postponed from last year because of COVID-19.
Any additional thoughts?
I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to work for the Lincoln Chapter for over 6 years. It is a vibrant chapter, and its members are easy to work with. It’s such a pleasure to do this work. It doesn’t even seem like a job.