Volunteer Spotlight – People Are Not Just Numbers to Mary Walters

Albie Aware is all about people. It is an organization of people helping people through one of the most difficult times imaginable. We are also very focused on numbers – the number of people we help, the number of people surviving breast cancer, the calculations of risk for any given population.

As a non-profit organization, we also need to focus on numbers concerning the money we distribute in assistance, the donations we take in to help accomplish our mission, and the funds we need to operate on a daily basis.

One other vital number we stay on top of is the number of selfless people who volunteer their time and energy to keep us going. Unfortunately for us at Albie Aware, that number is being reduced by one.

Mary Walters, CPA, has stepped down from her position as Treasurer on the Albie Aware Board after 12 years of dedicated service. Mary is so much more than a number to us, but numbers are definitely her forte.

The Very Beginning

Mary has been an owner of McGovern Planesi Walters, LLP, CPAs – an Elk Grove-based accounting firm – since 2004. That’s the same year that Doug Carson founded Albie Aware to honor his late wife, Albie.

Doug needed financial help to create the foundation and Mary offered her expertise. From Albie Aware’s infancy, Mary created business plans, generated budgets, established controls, and handled the taxes. Albie Aware could not have happened without laying that groundwork.

In Her Own Words

When asked why she became an Albie Aware volunteer, Mary replied, “I believe in the mission. This organization came about because of a passion. It has heart and soul. Like everyone, I have had friends, family, and clients, who have suffered with breast cancer.”

As Treasurer, Mary kept Albie Aware on a firm financial footing. She especially enjoyed working with bookkeeper Kay Christensen. “I loved working with her,”says Mary. “I would oversee her work and prepare the information for the Board.”

“Even though I was working behind the scenes, not on the front lines, I have seen first-hand how Albie Aware helps people in the community every day. Albie Aware is a local organization and all funds are accounted for and dispersed in our community.”

“I’ve enjoyed working on the Board. It’s a board that has love and integrity. These are people who are passionate about the cause and not here because they get anything monetary out of it. This is a labor of love. In the beginning, we didn’t have an office and no one knew who we were. It’s wonderful and humbling to see where we are now and how we’ve grown.”

A Busy Life

Mary was born and raised in Oroville, California and graduated from Chico State in 1987. She worked for other firms before she, her sister, and one other partner decided to go into business for themselves. In 2011, they purchased an old Victorian building in Elk Grove and restored it for their offices.

Mary has plenty to keep her busy outside of Albie Aware. She and her husband, Mark, have five adult children and three granddaughters, two of whom live on their property. And they love to restore old houses. She and Mark are currently fixing up a 1926 farmhouse.

So, is Mary just going to wave goodbye to Albie Aware? “Not at all,” she says, “Just because I’m off the Board, I still intend to be active and very involved with the organization. You will see me around.”

Albie Aware is successful because of the dedication of Mary Walters and volunteers like her. We are very pleased that she will continue to play a role in our mission. Thank you, Mary!

Albie Aware Needs You

The Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation offers a variety of volunteer opportunities that can easily fit into your lifestyle and schedule. Consider becoming a volunteer with us. To learn more click here or call us at (916) 927-1592.