Skilled at solving problems, Linda R. Gay thrived in human resources for more than two decades. She started her journey as an assistant manager of affirmative action at the Raytheon Company in 1974, and quickly garnered a reputation for her fairness and her willingness to listen to her peers. This led Ms. Gay to advance to roles like senior human resources representative of Wang Laboratories, Incorporated, recruiter of the Zayre Corporation, and director of human resources for Cablevision. Over the years, her responsibilities came to include managing safety, wages, training, hiring, benefits, uniforms, and event planning, and representing both employees and companies. She retired in 1996.
Ms. Gay credits much of her success to the female managers she worked with, all of whom pushed her to reach higher levels. To aid her professional growth, Ms. Gay completed coursework at Fitchburg State College and joined prominent organizations like the Northeast Human Resource Association, the Minority Human Resource Association, and Women in Cable. She was notably the secretary of the Boston Chapter of Women in Cable from 1988 to 1989.
The highlight of Ms. Gay’s career was creating an education program for the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund. Ms. Gay was notably the first family member to be voted onto the board of the 9/11 Fund. She lost her husband, Peter, in the attacks, and put her life on hold to make sure her daughter had a balanced life. The program she developed caters to high school students throughout the state and helps remind people of what was lost that day.
Looking to the future, Ms. Gay hopes to be remembered for being there for people. In addition to her work on the 9/11 Fund, she also volunteers at the Tewksbury Senior Center and is a leader for Girl Scouts of the USA.
