ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A Rochester woman who worked closely with President Jimmy Carter is sharing her thoughts about his legacy.

Kelly Gagan is a former employee of The Carter Center. She worked with Carter on some of the projects most near and dear to his heart that will forever be part of his lasting legacy.

What You Need To Know

  • A former Carter Center employee calls job a "remarkable experience"

  • Kelly Gagan worked closely with President Jimmy Carter and is sharing her thoughts about his legacy

  • For Gagan, there was sadness at the news of her mentor’s passing, but also a feeling of peace that he is with his beloved wife and that he was able to see so many of his hopes and plans come to fruition

“It was quite a remarkable experience,” said Gagan, who was hired as a fundraiser for the Carter Center in 1997.

It was then that Gagan embarked on a journey that would give her a lifetime of knowledge and experience few others would have access to.

“I think there are times in our lives that you work with an individual who leaves a mark upon you that will remain your entire life," she said. "And for me, it was President Carter and Mrs. Carter. They were remarkable human beings who lived their faith every day.”  

The Carters founded The Carter Center after leaving the White House. The center aims to resolve conflicts, advance democracy, protect human rights, prevent disease and improve mental health care.

“Our campaign was for $150 million to permanently endow the work because President and Mrs. Carter understood that when they left the Carter Center the fundraising would become more difficult, and they wanted to make sure that the work that they had started would continue," Gagan said. "That endowment is now worth $1 billion, and it's the envy of the not-for-profit world.”

Gagan spent many hours with President Carter, much of it on planes traveling to fundraising events.

“What he would do on the commercial flights is he would walk up and down every row and shake every person's hand, because he knew that they wanted to at least greet him," Gagan said. "And he was warm. He was thoughtful. He had that wonderful smile. But he was very focused. He was very deliberate. He knew exactly what he wanted to get done."

Gagan recalls the many star-studded moments.

“At the event were Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, President and Mrs. Carter, obviously, Roseanne Barr was there. There were probably 75 people. Wolfgang Puck was the caterer. It was quite a who's who," she recalled. "I dealt with everyone from Oscar Meyer to meeting the Dalai Lama. So, it was just this wonderful breadth of people who understood the importance of the work and wanted to be a part of it.”

And President Carter hand-wrote thank notes to the donors – signing them, “Best wishes, Jimmy.”

For Gagan, there was sadness at the news of her mentor’s passing, but also a feeling of peace that he is with his beloved wife and that he was able to see so many of his hopes and plans come to fruition.

“I watched as they brought him into the Carter Center, and I thought of all the times that we, he and I had walked those halls together, and that was home," Gagan said. "And it was so fitting that the first people to pay their respects were employees of the Carter Center. That's how he wanted it. They were the first ones to be able to go through because those were his family."

What she learned from the 39th president of the United States, Gagan still puts to use to this day in her personal life and professional life as president of Rochester Regional Health Foundations.