HB Magazine - Spring 2024

Alumnae Trailblazers

Presenting the 2024 Distinguished Alumnae Award and Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients

We invite you to join us on Saturday, May 18th at 11:30 a.m. as we present these awards during the State of the School and Awards Presentation as part of Alumnae Weekend

Distinguished Alumnae Awards

Established in 1983, the Distinguished Alumnae award is presented to an alumna who has, through extraordinary effort and dedicated service to Hathaway Brown or her local, national, or international community, made a significant contribution in her professional or volunteer endeavors. This honor can be bestowed upon an alumna posthumously.

Margaret Rose Giltinan ‘74: From Summer Camp to CEO

For Margaret Rose Giltinan ‘74, HB’s greatest gifts have been “the sustainability of what I learned – how useful it would be for the rest of my life – and the lifelong friends that I made.” After launching her career as a Federal Reserve Bank Examiner, Margaret transitioned into private industry, excelling in diverse lending roles such as a bank Commercial Loan Officer and as a Consumer Compliance Officer. While raising her daughters, Margaret volunteered with the Junior League and deepened her involvement in the family’s medical device business, Gebauer Company, eventually taking the reins as CEO in 2009. Margaret’s journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment to her community, career, and family.

Sink or Swim

“One of the first ways that I learned to swim was in the courtyard fountain at HB’s summer camp! It was in the 1960s – I must have been six or seven. I went to that summer camp for ten years, and one of the HB girls in my class went all through summer camp with me. I’m still very close to her today.”

Life’s Greatest Lesson

“All my lessons in life pale in comparison to the lessons my two daughters taught me. Teachers start off in a teacher-pupil relationship, and then the student becomes the teacher. The same thing happened with my children. When they grew up, they became my teachers, and that was a huge awakening. They taught me unconditional love, and that patience really is a virtue, not just a saying.

Due to the fact that Gebauer is a family-owned company, I refer to my employees as my family. When I became CEO, I told my employees what to do and taught them, but I have come to believe that it goes both ways. My employees are my teachers, too.”

The Power of Positivity

“In 2004, I was diagnosed with stage 3B breast cancer and was told I might not live. Fighting breast cancer was a tremendously important turning point for me. I decided that the only way to get through it was with a positive attitude. I took every opportunity I could to heal the mind, body, and soul – not just the cancer.”

Flipping the Script

“I think it would be wonderful if at HB, junior and senior year, the students could become the teachers, meaning they would have a project where they have to teach a class. This would be an exceptional opportunity that would build confidence. I really believe that in the future, they will find themselves in many teaching moments, whether it’s with their parents, their own children, or something more formal like a board presentation.”

Putting the “Personal” in Personal Finance

“I have a particular passion for business and finance at HB, and I believe finance is an important piece to the puzzle of your identity. Understanding business and finance are skills that I have embraced throughout my life.”

Katharine Goss ‘74: A Changemaker

When Katharine Goss ‘74 arrived at Hathaway Brown in the seventh grade, she couldn’t have anticipated the profound impact the school would have on her future.

Decades later, as the CEO of Lake View Cemetery, she is still reaping the benefits of her HB education. With creativity and drive, Kathy has steered this Cleveland landmark into a new era, breathing life into its serene grounds while honoring its historical roots. Kind, confident, and always taking risks, Kathy embodies the values HB hopes to instill in each and every graduate.

Transforming Lake View

“Back in 1869, Lake View was intended to be like a park. It was designed for the living, a place to walk, picnic, read poetry and sit under the shade trees. We’re still doing it today, but we’re not wearing big hoop dresses and parasols! They did it a little differently back then – it was all gated, and you had to show a ticket to get in. Now we swing the gates open every morning at 7:30am and close at dusk. It was a collective vision to give the community access to our parklike setting. We’ve tried to rebuild Lake View as a place for the living as well as a burial ground, but the living is vitally important.”

A Leap of Faith

“The board of directors were doing an executive search at Lake View, and I put my hat in the ring. I said, ‘I can do this job. I know what needs to be done here. Give me a chance. Make me interim CEO, and within 4-5 months, if you aren’t seeing the direction you want to go, we can have a conversation.’ I basically said, ‘You can fire me if you want to, but let me give it a shot!’ Within three months they made my position official. That was 15 years ago.”

A Place of Rest

“There are people on their way to and from the hospitals who stop to drive through Lake View, a verdant space in an otherwise urban setting. It’s their moment to get out from under the weight of healthcare. They end up telling their families about us and visiting again for one of our programs. We heard from someone who drove through Lake View every time they had chemotherapy, and it was comforting to reconnect with nature after a tough day. They ended up choosing Lake View to be their family’s cemetery.”

Women in Business

“When I was at Merrill Lynch as a stock broker, there were ten women in an office of one hundred brokers. We were still carving our way. People said, ‘You can’t be a stock broker! Women aren’t successful at that business!’ But because of what I learned at HB, I said, ‘Why wouldn’t I be successful?’ The gender disparity never bothered me. Women are fantastic in finance and investment management. We take good care of our clients and build relationships that are authentic and deep, and we understand family dynamics. Women also make great clients because they want to learn. It’s a rewarding business for women.”

A Worldwide Network

“I have this huge family of relatives from attending HB because they all feel like sisters. You can spot an HB girl a mile away. There are times when I’m in a business situation and somebody is making a presentation, and I’m thinking what a dynamic speaker. Later, I find out – Oh, they went to HB or one of the four schools!”

A Teacher’s Influence

“My mother wasn’t a career person. She didn’t interfere, but she wasn’t sitting there saying, ‘Go on, you can do it!’ She wasn’t a risk taker. Where I learned that was at HB. At Hathaway Brown, I studied with strong, smart women in the faculty. Most students from my era would mention Judy Cortese – she taught Science and Biology. She made everything wonderful. She’s at the top of my list. Also Ginny Lindseth – she was tough and effective. Some girls got in trouble with her because she would catch them chewing gum or breaking rules. Ginny got her PhD while she taught at HB and raised a family of four. She was an inspiration.”