Meet Sally McLaughlin - New Member Coordinator

There is quite a bit of “new” surrounding this month’s member, Sally McLaughlin. Not only is she our New Member Coordinator, she is also relatively new to Sacramento, and newly retired!  

A well-traveled gal who has lived abroad, Sally grew up in Southern California (Pasadena) and is a graduate of both Cal Berkeley and Cal State L.A. Having studied human nutrition and achieving an M.S. in Nursing, she lived and worked in San Francisco (UCSF) for 20 years before relocating to Sacramento to be nearer to her daughter and young grandchildren. After four years working locally as a nurse educator, Sally is now happily retired.

As you will learn below, Sally has a lot of energy and is bringing that and her many talents to Impact100 Greater Sacramento. Thank you, Sally!

Why did you join Impact100?

I learned about Impact100 Greater Sacramento from Paulette Trainor and the model really appealed to me.  Also, being fairly new to the Sacramento area, I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet people here.

What is your favorite aspect about Impact100?

Several things:  the simplicity of the model – the funds are raised and given away within a period of 

a year. Second, I like that the grants are so large – they really make a non-profit’s dream come true. Third, I learned so much about the Greater Sacramento community through the application review process and the Final Five event. Finally, the people are really nice!

What is your favorite restaurant?

I like sitting out on the patio of Wildwood in the summer. Ella is delicious.  

What are your hobbies?

I love to garden. I can spend the entire day gardening in my little patio. I used to sew a lot and hope to get back to some unfinished projects. My young grandchildren live a short walk away from me – they’re my favorite hobby right now.

What are your favorite travel destination(s)?

I lived in Eastern Europe twice – Czechoslovakia and Latvia – just after the wall came down and fell in love with it. I’m going back to Bratislava this Spring. I’ve been to Japan, love Paris and parts of Africa, Patagonia, Machu Picchu. I’ve really loved every place I’ve been!  

What is a place you haven’t traveled, but would love to visit?

I never hit Spain or Portugal and will be going there this Spring. I’ve never been to Hawaii, and I really want to visit more National and State Parks here in the U.S.

If you could have an hour lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

My high school English teacher James Riherd, who taught literature. His enthusiasm was off the charts and it rubbed off on all of us. He taught us to write the proverbial five paragraph essay, how to appreciate a book, how to organize our thoughts and articulate them. These stood me in good stead ever since, and I am immensely grateful to him.  

What is one thing we should know about you?The question I’m asked all the time is “Are the curls real?”  The answer is “Yes, they are!”