Maureen McGerty believes that volunteering time and talents to the pursuit of literacy is an important,
meaningful path to building and supporting the individual as well as the community.
Sharing the gifts of reading and writing well bestowed at birth is not only a duty but also a joy. The more
involved she becomes when called upon, the better she feels about herself as a human being and about the
world-at-large. Raised as a progressive Christian in the Lutheran church, she has experienced the give and
take of service through her faith within the communities to which she belongs.
Her involvement with NIRMV began in 2008 when she received recognition as a “Volunteer of the Year”
from this organization. She accepted the invitation to serve as a Board Member-at-Large in 2016 and
subsequently was elected Vice President in 2017. She has also served as Chair of NIRMV’s Poetry
Competition in 2024 and 2026.
Detroit-born, public school-educated, she grew up in suburban Roseville in a neighborhood of blue-collar
and white-collar families. She graduated from Wayne State University, earning two Bachelor of Arts
degrees in English/Journalism and Psychology and later a Master of Arts degree in English and creative
writing. Her career path morphed from journalism to public relations to scientific publishing, evidence
that a solid foundation in the Liberal Arts, particularly in editorial and linguistic skills, is a necessity in
life. She loves being a part of another human being’s journey to read and write well.
Within her early faith community and church home, Maureen worked with youth, traveling to West
Virginia, Washington D.C., and New Orleans as a chaperone at gatherings and conferences; she taught
Sunday School to preschool-age youngsters and fourth-grade students, sat on the Sunday School board,
and served as Sunday School superintendent at Bethel Lutheran Church in St. Clair Shores, Michigan.
Later, as a member and volunteer at Trinity Lutheran Church in Utica, Michigan, Maureen participated in
two social outreach ministries: MCREST and the weekly “Supper-Sack Lunch-Shower” program, a
community meal and fellowship for the homeless and financially challenged men, women, and children
of metro Detroit.
While a long-time member of Detroit Working Writers, a Detroit 300 Heritage Organization and a 501(c)6 non-profit for the literary arts, Maureen fulfilled several roles from 1998 to 2025. Tapped by then-
President Darlene House, her involvement during DWW’s centennial year in 2000 led to organizing and presenting Readings at local bookstores, a holiday book sale at Detroit’s Renaissance Center, and an
extensive public relations effort to celebrate DWW’s enduring role in fostering excellence in creative
writing. Maureen also represented the writing community as a panel member and guest speaker during
“career week” at Trinity Lutheran School in Utica, Michigan, and at Lutheran High School Northwest in
Rochester Hills, Michigan.
Maureen retired from Wayne State University in 2023 and from the Pregnancy Research Branch at the
National Institutes of Health in 2025. She tutors middle and high school students in English Language
Arts. She lives in northern Michigan where she is an active member of the region’s vibrant community of
writers.
