CATHY GIRARDEAU NAMED PRESIDENT OF BACH ASCENDING
Cathy Girardeau has been elected by the Board of Directors as President of Bach Ascending. She has served on the Board since 2022, including as Secretary, supporting the organization's growth and mission during an important season of transition and expansion. Cathy succeeds Margo Jones whose term expired.
Cathy's connection to Bach Ascending is also deeply personal. She first knew founder Mark Berry through the church where they both grew up, where Mark's father served as pastor. After losing touch for many years, they reconnected through Facebook when Cathy shared a cherished wedding photograph officiated by Pastor Berry. Soon afterward, they made the remarkable discovery that they were both living in Savannah. Their weekly lunches rekindled a lifelong friendship and gave Cathy a firsthand appreciation for Mark's passion, vision, and entrepreneurial spirit. Invited to join the Board in 2022, she is privileged to help carry forward the mission and legacy he so thoughtfully established.
Cathy brings more than three decades of leadership experience in human resources, organizational development, coaching, and community service. She is the founder of CG Coaching & Consulting LLC, where she works with leaders and teams to strengthen communication, navigate change, and build healthy organizational cultures. Her professional background includes leadership roles with Gulfstream Aerospace, South University, and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Music has been a meaningful thread throughout Cathy's life. An active choral singer and lifelong lover of the arts, she believes music has a unique power to connect people across backgrounds, generations, and perspectives. Most recently, she traveled to France as a member of the American Choir for World Peace, participating in the 2026 D-Day commemorations with performances on Omaha Beach, at the Normandy American Cemetery, in historic cathedrals throughout France, and at Notre-Dame de Paris. These experiences further deepened her conviction that music can transcend language and history, serving as both remembrance and reconciliation.
Her commitment to Bach Ascending reflects a deep appreciation not only for the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach, but also for the organization's mission to create transformative musical experiences that educate, inspire, and strengthen community.
Beyond her professional and musical work, Cathy is active in Rotary leadership and international peacebuilding initiatives, including service with the Rotary Peacebuilders of Savannah and the Rotary Intercountry Committee for Georgia–Serbia. Across her work in coaching, community service, music, and peacebuilding, she is guided by a belief in listening well, building trust, and creating meaningful connection.
As President, Cathy looks forward to stewarding Bach Ascending into its next chapter, building on the vision of founder Mark Berry and the extraordinary work of the board, artists, volunteers, donors, and supporters who have shaped the organization. She brings both continuity and fresh energy to the role.
Originally from the Chicago area, Cathy has called Savannah home since 1990. She and her husband, Jim, raised their two children here and are proud grandparents of two. Outside her professional and volunteer work, she enjoys singing, watercolor painting, running, travel, and spending time with family and her four cats.