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