The 2022 MWAA Industry Achievement Award Recipient
Kate Gillespie
The Green Sheet

Kate Gillespie joined the payments industry in 1999 when she signed on to work with Paul Green, who had launched the very first ISO for card services 20 years prior. Green also founded The Green Sheet as a resource for merchant level salespeople and others carving out careers in payments. It wasn’t long before Gillespie’s passion for journalism drew her to Green’s growing magazine, where her emphasis on excellence helped win the publication multiple awards, and her duties included researching and writing the first in-depth report on biometric payments for acquirers.
Her curiosity and resilience also meant “I can’t” wasn’t in her vocabulary, and her varied professional experience, which included working as a statistician for the Department of Defense, corporate HR director, co-owner and general manager of an optometry practice, and researcher for a business incubator also gave her requisite skills to advance. As Green’s right-hand colleague, she served stints managing editorial, circulation and production areas of the business. And in 2005, she became the company’s chief operating officer and general manager.
When Green retired in 2014, he sold the business to Gillespie, who was, he said, uniquely qualified to uphold and advance The Green Sheet tradition. As president and chief executive officer, she has strengthened the company’s core mission to support the industry’s feet on the street while also adapting to ongoing industry changes, innovating and expanding scope as needed to connect and empower payments professionals for not just today but also tomorrow.
Past Recipients
2021
Juan Ortiz
Juan Ortiz Inspires Inc (JOI)
2019
O.B. Rawls IV
Paysafe Group
2018
Holly Targan
Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss
2017
Jim McCormick
Founder of the Midwest
Acquirers Association
John McCormick
Founder of the Southeast
Acquirers Association
Jaques Breton
Founder of the Northeast
Acquirers Association
Sherry Friedrichsen
Founder of the Western States
Acquirers Association
2016
Deana Rich
Rich Consulting
2015
Gerry Wagner
Discover Financial Services
2014
Bob Jenisch
Digital Transactions
2013
Biff Matthews
Owner of CardWare
International
2012
Mark Dunn
Field Guide Enterprises and
Treasurer of the MWAA
2011
Dan Neistadt
Electronic Merchant
Systems
2010
Linda Perry
ISTS Worldwide
2009
Donna Embry
Payment Alliance International
2008
Kim Fitzsimmons
First Data Corp
2007
Mike Ponder
Integrity Payment Systems
2006
Dick Draper
PeriPheron Technologies
2005
John Rante
President of Online Data Corp
2004
Paul Green
The Greensheet
2003
Robert O. Carr
Heartland Payment Systems
The inaugural MWAA
Industry Achievement Award