Shared Effort

Kathleen McCleery ’75 joined the PP55 Board of Directors in June 2008. Kathleen has been the Deputy Executive Producer for “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” since November 2005. She oversees the daily program and coordinates all editorial, technical and online aspects. In her nearly 14-year tenure at the NewsHour, she’s produced stories in four Presidential election cycles. She covered the impeachment of President Clinton, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the Iraq war and its aftermath. She traveled to Cuba to produce stories during Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1998. Her career as a broadcast journalist has spanned 34 years. In 1981, Kathleen married Robert J. Martinez, also ‘75, an attorney in Washington, DC, in a ceremony at Colonial Club in Princeton. Their son, Jason, is a senior at James Madison University, and their daughter, Elena, is Princeton Class of 2011.

How did you get involved with Princeton Project 55? Did it surprise you to learn that Princeton Project 55 is a multigenerational organization?

When Elliott Lee ’74 called to broach the subject of Princeton Project 55, I was surprised. I knew very little about the organization, but I trusted Elliott having known him for more than 3 decades. If he was involved, I knew PP55 had to be worth considering. Elliott’s pitch was intriguing. He talked about reaching a point in life when we have a bit more time and can think about service to others. With 2 children in college, the moment was right.

What is your background regarding nonprofits/volunteering? How have you demonstrated “Princeton in the Nation’s Service?”

Please let me be the first to admit I don’t have the long history of service that most of my colleagues on the Princeton Project 55 Board do. I have great admiration for their long commitment to public service and for their many accomplishments at PP55.

For Princeton, my husband and I co-chaired the Northern Virginia Alumni Schools Committee for several years and interviewed applicants for many more. We worked hard to insure that our committee interviewed 100% of the students applying to Princeton every year. Our efforts were recognized on Alumni Day in 2006 when we received the S. Barksdale Penick Prize. We served a term on the national schools committee as well mentoring other chairs and encouraging them to hit the 100% mark.

I’ve spent years doing the kinds of things many parents have done … mostly working tirelessly for school-based organizations supporting the various activities my own children have participated in. We started early by organizing a parent cooperative to buy the Montessori pre-school our children attended. That became a parent-run school, and we were involved for 7 years. Later, I found my way into elementary, middle school and high school activities ranging from helping in the writing labs to speaking on career days to manning the concession stand at athletic events.

I served as president of the Band Boosters for 2 years and was on the board for several more years while my son and daughter played clarinet in the school bands. We’ve supported the local education association hosting fundraisers at our home among other things.

Perhaps my longest tenure in public service has been the decades I’ve spent in public television, a non-profit, of course.

What’s the most important thing you look for when supporting an organization or serving on a nonprofit board?

People make up organizations, and I look for smart, creative, interesting people who are committed to making their organization the very best it can be. I want to be challenged, and I want to experience the intellectual, collegial atmosphere we all found at Princeton.

Please discuss the importance of what PP55 does for the Princeton community and communities across the country.

Princeton Project 55 performs a unique service for Princeton University, for the fellows and for the partner organizations. Everyone benefits. The fellows get real work experience while performing an important service. The partner organizations get talented workers. All of that reflects positively on Princeton for educating the students and for inspiring them to work in the nation’s service and in the service of all nations.

PP55 is currently in the process of placing our 2009-10 fellows. As you know, the current economy has drastically decreased the availability of fellowship placements. What would your advice be for our newest class of PP55 fellows, and to those Princetonians who are still looking for a job next year?

There’s no sugar coating it. This is a very tough job market, a tough economy. For the new Princeton Project 55 fellows, congratulations. You are about to embark on a very exciting year, one you’ll likely never forget, and one you’ll build on for many years to come.

Take advantage of every moment, every contact, every seminar, every event. Soak it all up and learn from it. Your fellowship is a real job. While you’re performing an important service, you’re also learning how to behave, how to interact with others and how to manage others.

For those still in search of the perfect job, relax and know that something will come your way. Be persistent, don’t give up and do use your Princeton contacts. I never fail to return a Princetonian’s email and never refuse to speak to a young Princetonian asking for career advice.

As we near our 20th Anniversary, what is your hope for the next 20 years at PP55?

I’d like to see Princeton Project 55 continue to provide fellowship opportunities to recent graduates and similar opportunities to older alumni. I hope we can transition to a strong, stable base of support (both financial and otherwise) from the middle year alumni. As our country grapples with the current economic crisis, I’d like to see Project 55 help match those in need with those who can give service.