Wellesley Resident Patti Quigley Named Public Servant of the Year by Bridgewater State University

Patti Quigley, Executive Director of Razia’s Ray of Hope, has been named Public Servant of the Year by Bridgewater State University. Ms. Quigley will be honored at the upcoming 13th Annual Public Service Recognition Dinner, an event hosted by the faculty of the Political Science Department in celebration of National Public Service Recognition Week.

The evening includes dinner, an award ceremony presenting the Public Servant of the Year and the Guy Clifford Scholarship Award, as well as recognition of the 2013 Master of Public Administration (MPA) graduates on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Dunn Conference Suite, Crimson Hall, Bridgewater State University, East Campus. The cost for this event is $25 for alumni and guests; $15 for students and faculty. All proceeds from the MPA Public Service Recognition Dinner benefit the Guy Clifford Scholarship Fund. Online registration is available at http://bit.ly/105oRyQ.

Patti Quigley became active in women’s issues after her husband Patrick was killed on September 11, 2001. He was a passenger on United Flight 175, the second plane to hit the World Trade Center.

After her husband’s death, Patti was overwhelmed by the enormous outpouring of emotional support from around the world. Soon after the US invaded Afghanistan, she became aware of the vast differences between her experience as a widow and the treatment of her counterparts in Afghanistan. Struck by these disparities, she teamed with Susan Retik — who was also widowed on September 11 — to establish Beyond the 11th, a nonprofit organization founded to support projects that provide sustainable income to Afghan widows and their families.

In 2008, Patti shifted her focus to the young girls in Afghanistan. She joined the Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in Afghanistan through community-based education. Founded with the belief that education is key to positive, peaceful change for current and future generations, the foundation strives to provide opportunities to learn and grow in a safe, nurturing environment. Patti felt passionately about educating the next generation of Afghan people so that the cycle of poverty, despair, and terrorism can be stopped. Having enjoyed a successful career as an internal auditor and vice president of financial operations at several commercial lending organizations, Patti applied her skills and experience to the role of executive director for the foundation. She also currently serves on the School Committee in Wellesley, MA, where she resides. She is deeply honored to receive this year’s Public Servant of the Year award from Bridgewater State University.