Meet Gilli. She’s Helping St. Mary’s Change Lives.

For Gilli Hachey, Executive Director of the Foundation of St. Mary’s Healthcare, her job title can’t possibly tell the full story.

You see, her job goes far beyond overseeing fundraising efforts. It’s about forging meaningful connections and empowering the community to shape the future of their local hospital. It’s about
bridging the gap between donors and patients. And, it’s about ensuring that every donation, partnership, and event has a lasting impact on both the hospital’s growth and the care it provides.

Talk to her colleagues and they’ll tell you, Gilli does all this and more — all with a keen understanding of the hospital’s needs and an unwavering passion for its mission.

Born and raised in Johnstown, Gilli has a Master of Business Administration degree. The original plan was that she’d use that degree to go off to the big city and get a job in the entertainment industry. Then life took a turn. A childhood friend, with whom she’d stayed close with over the years, got in a car accident and sustained severe injuries. For Gilli, this tragedy sparked a profound shift in how she saw the meaning and purpose of her life. She took a job at Liberty ARC in Amsterdam, a non-profit that offers programs for those with developmental and intellectual disabilities. As their stewardship and development manager, she was provided the chance to help grow an organization that was doing important work, while giving back to her community.

“I realized the many ways I’ve been so fortunate, including where I’d grown up,” Gilli says. “I had decided to anchor myself here in this region, to do what I could to make this a better place for all of us.”

When the position opened at St. Mary’s to be Executive Director of the Foundation, Gilli saw it as a chance to do even more. “After six months on the job, I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made,” she says. “The leadership team here is supportive and engaged, which is so important as we work to build a culture that values and promotes philanthropy. The commitment this organization has made to remain a community hospital, focused on quality care, is real and deep.”

What’s most meaningful to Gilli is knowing that the work she’s doing to create strong partnerships, based on trust and mutually shared goals, is for the benefit of the hospital and the communities that rely on this hospital. There are so many needs the Foundation works to fulfill, from capital infrastructure to technology, from the expansion of programs and services to financial assistance for patients and hospital associates.

The hospital’s two signature fundraising events, the Gala in August and the Golf Classic in October, also provide the opportunity to raise money and enjoy time with hospital supporters.
Historically, these events have raised money to help support Urgent Care services and career development for hospital associates.

“These events celebrate the spirit of giving,” Gilli says, “while they strengthen the connection between our hospital and the people we serve.” They also reinforce for Gilli how thankful she feels to have the help of the generous, caring people of Fulton and Montgomery counties.

“We can’t do all that we do without the help of our community,” she says. “How lucky we are.”

She’s made it a goal to have more and more people in Fulton and Montgomery counties feel lucky to have St. Mary’s.

“We’re an independent hospital, completely dedicated to providing excellent care close to where our patients live and work. I think that’s a pretty big deal, and I’m so proud to be on this
team.”

To support St. Mary’s Healthcare, please visit www.smha.org/foundation.