ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT: KATY BUNN

MEET KATY BUNN

MOM OF 3, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AT PAYCOR, AND AHG ALUMNA

Since 1995, the Mission of American Heritage Girls has been to build women of integrity While the AHG Program targets those in girlhood, the sincerity and faith-filled spirit that is nurtured and grown through AHG continues as girls develop and mature into women.

The story of American Heritage Girls is closely connected to the story of Katy Bunn, daughter of AHG Founder and Executive Director, Patti Garibay, and AHG Alumna after eight years in the program. Patti Garibay often recounts founding AHG as “a program for her daughter”—Katy is that daughter for whom AHG was developed! Katy was an original AHG Girl Member in 1995, beginning in the Explorer Program Level. Katy masterfully fills the roles of wife, mother, company executive, and faithfully serves as the Assistant Unit Leader in her Troop, OH0323. She is a woman of grace, conviction, candor, and humor. She laughs effortlessly, maintains unwavering eye contact when speaking, and exudes joy when talking about the deep value of the AHG Program in the journey of building Godly women of integrity.

The Garibay family held a longstanding ethic toward scouting methods and their benefits in developing leadership and communication skills alongside confidence through fun. Katy was 10 years old when her family made the shift away from Girl Scouts USA. She distinctly remembers when everything changed for their family saying, “I knew we couldn’t look back, and everything would be different from here forward.” Thus, the birth of American Heritage Girls. Even as a young girl, Katy had a sense that “we were helping build this thing” that would be much bigger than just her family. She humbly understands the gift carved out not only for her life but for the lives of thousands of girls and women in the last 28 years.

In her former home Troop, OH0895, Katy, like many girls, had a favorite badge—the Horsemanship Badge. She ached for a horse of her own but soaked up every moment when she was able to ride at a nearby facility. An adventurous girl, Katy loved the outdoors but more specifically the high adventure activities. “I loved having the time with my friends making up skits, singing silly songs, and pushing past our fears to accomplish incredible adventures like whitewater rafting, climbing the highest pamper poll, or trusting ourselves to make it through a ropes course.” Katy knows well the joy of immersive learning for girls, and her Troop spent much time discovering our nation’s heritage through a connection with a Cincinnati-based historical village. They participated in heritage festivals and invested service hours as a way to give back to the place they cherished. Through badgework, Katy also gained a passion for Public Speaking—a skill she uses daily in her professional life. She recalls that “I learned at a young age how to [get] past the fear and deliver an articulate message.”

AHG Alumnae know the rich value of loyal friendships and experiencing life’s best with those they love. Katy’s AHG friendships track through to today, and she still enjoys catching up with other alumnae over social media and at AHGinspire Conferences. One relationship, though, made a lasting impression on her heart. Her friend, Kelly Beerman, was part of that original chartered Troop and tragically passed away in 2010. Katy and Kelly were close, so much so that her memory still brings tears to Katy’s eyes. The core group of friends who dearly loved Kelly still get together on a regular basis to keep her vivaciousness alive. Kelly’s legacy also lives on through the Kelly Beerman Foundation, which was established to invest in girls’ lives through AHG’s girl leadership initiatives and curricula. Katy’s continued loyalty and dedication to her AHG sisters speaks volumes to the lifelong friendships girls can develop through Troops—ones that last far into eternity.

In her daily professional life, Katy shines as a leader. She credits her years in AHG, both with direct and implicit learning occasions, as the driver of her abilities to connect, strategize, communicate, and practice empathy toward those she leads. In 2023, Katy was named among the Cincinnati Courier’s “Forty Under 40”—a well-earned honor as the Senior Vice President of Leaders & Industry Growth of Paycor, a human resources management company that is also the Cincinnati Bengals’ home namesake, Paycor Stadium. Paycor is an up-andcoming publicly traded company on NASDAQ currently turning heads in the United States financial sector! For Katy, these honors serve as a stepping-stone not to her own worldly success, but as a monumental opportunity to show a Christian woman’s competency, focus, and grace.

Far beyond achievements and awards, Katy is thriving as a wife to her husband, a mother to her three children, and a committed Assistant Unit leader for her Troop’s Explorers. One might think, “this woman does it all!” And the truth is, she does—but with the utmost compassion and joy.

While the Lord called Katy’s parents to step out and form AHG nearly 30 years ago, the story wasn’t just for them. All the Garibay children have served the ministry in various capacities over the last three decades. Today, the legacy continues with Katy’s own children and niece are part of the ongoing work Jesus is doing to build Godly women of integrity through AHG.