Topic
Russia’s aggression against its smaller neighbor has had real effects on real people. Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine may well have worldwide geopolitical consequences, so it is not surprising that those directly affected by the upheaval might be overlooked. We all have an interest in understanding the social, political and humanitarian complexities of this war, but is there anything we can do?
One of our Northern Nevada neighbors, Maura McDermott, was motivated to take action. She traveled to Poland and spent 3 weeks volunteering with Ukrainian children, Polish mothers and Ukrainian moms. She left America having no idea what she would be doing or what to expect. Among other activities, she ended up participating with thousands of others, including Poles and Ukrainian refugees, in Warsaw’s Old Town Market Square, commemorating the day in 1991 that Ukraine officially became independent of the Soviet Union. This recognition of Ukraine Independence Day, on August 24th, was televised world-wide.
In her Hayek Dinner talk, Maura will share her stories and perspectives, noting how we all can be of service to in some fruitful way.
Speaker: Maura McDermott
Maura McDermott enjoyed a 35 year career in healthcare technology sales, sales management and consulting with companies such as First Data American Express Healthcare, McKesson and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. She worked closely with executives of large employers, insurance companies and providers to deliver innovative solutions based on information technology, applications, data and analytics.
Maura grew up in a family of 8 in Louisiana and holds an undergraduate degree in sociology from Louisiana Tech University and also holds a culinary degree from LeCordon Bleu, Paris. She volunteers locally with Nevada Food Bank and the Humane Society. Before moving to Reno in 2005 she resided in the South Bay with her husband Rick. For leisure, Maura enjoys golf, hiking, traveling, cooking and spending time with friends and family.