Worcester nonprofit Wake Up Narcolepsy announced on Tuesday its co-founder, Monica Gow, will return as the organization’s executive director five years after she left the role for a position as board chair.
Gow served as executive director from the time of the organization’s founding in 2008 to 2016 when she moved to the role of board chair. During her previous term as executive director, she raised more than $2 million for research, programming, and campaigns, according to the press release from the organization.
In 2020, she took a position as director of Worcester Institute for Senior Education while continuing as board chair of WUN. In that position, she increased membership by 115% and grew the organization’s campaign fund 170%.
Mary Beth Guckian now holds the position of board chair, per the organization’s website.
WUN did not immediately respond when asked who formerly held the executive director position.
Gow holds a bachelor’s degree from Assumption University in Worcester, a master’s degree from Clark University in Worcester, and a teaching certification from Worcester State University. Before founding WUN, she was a literacy teacher in the Worcester Public Schools.
