Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/146896
L eadership in motion "From the moment we all walk into this Club, we all have one thing in common—we're all WAC members." Nor can you realize the full benefit without actively meeting other members, she says. "When I think about the challenges we have as a business, I come back to how engaged are the members. Are we as members engaging each other? Or are we passing each other in the hallways and not even saying hello? Are we each taking the full benefit of the community that is within the WAC?" Marilyn's own involvement extends from her fitness pursuits to regular lunches at the Sports Café to representing Club leadership Marilyn says she didn't know how strong she was until she began Power Lunch. "I always underestimated what you can do when you're in the right setting with other people and you work hard," she says. Away from the gym, Marilyn's passions include helping other women find a different kind of strength. She's been fundamental in establishing Women of the WAC, an emerging group aimed at fostering connections and nurturing mentor-mentee relationships. "It's really a place for women at any point in their lives," she says. "It's a platform for women to get together and to connect professionally and personally." l u k e r u ta n ( 2 ) Celebrating the completion of the lobby Gateway Project. Marilyn during a planning meeting for Women of the WAC. Driving engagement Marilyn credits the WAC for helping her through tough times. As her marriage was ending, she wondered about attending Jubilee without a date. Phil Abbess, a friend and past member of the Board of Governors, told her she didn't need one. He also convinced her to sign up as a casino volunteer. Marilyn spent part of that Jubilee working as a craps banker and the rest of the time learning how far she was from alone. "From the moment we all walk into this Club, we all have one thing in common—we're all WAC members," she says. "That's the thing that connects us." Marilyn wants to further drive that connection—not only among members but also between members and Club resources— during her year as Chairwoman. "The thing that's sitting with me is to help members with engagement," she says. "What makes it a special place is when you open up and try new things. You can't really get the full WAC experience by only utilizing one aspect of it." 34 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | AUGUST 2013 at the Team Member Banquet. This past February, she was one of the first to hit the dance floor during the annual employee celebration. Her energy and involvement prove she's a far cry from the pedestrian persona she peddled during a chance encounter outside the WAC Garage on a rainy January night. "I'm simple," she said, doing her best to stay dry in a red raincoat before her drive home to Issaquah. "Single mom, two kids. But maybe I'll find out I'm more interesting than I think." Indeed. By the time this article is published, Marilyn will be fresh off a European vacation with Thomas and Kady. In London, they were to see The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park. "We travel well together," Marilyn says. Back on the golf course, she finds her ball in the rough near the eighth fairway and sends a shot straight into the peeling red bark of an ancient madrone tree. The ball bounces back and lands about three steps from where it started. Marilyn just laughs. —Darrick Meneken is the Managing Editor of WAC Magazine.