Her writing combines her experiences from years of military service from enlisted soldier to lieutenant colonel, along with her musical life and deep connection to her faith in God.
NEW MARKET, AL, August 04, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Cheryl D. McAuley, LTC, USA (Ret.) has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Recognized for her leadership skills across multiple avenues, Dr. McAuley commenced her writing career in 2018 following three decades of service in the United States Army Reserve and Maryland Army National Guard (1980-2010) and 26 years as a civil servant for the Department of Defense. DoD assignments included the Washington Navy Yard, the Pentagon, and Redstone Arsenal. Her writing combines her experiences from years of military service from enlisted soldier to lieutenant colonel, along with her musical life and deep connection to her faith in God.
Written works to Dr. McAuley's credit include "Asante Sana: Life Lessons from Kili" from 2019, which was an Amazon bestseller, and "After the Butterfly – What's Next God?" from 2022. All royalties from her first book go to Compassion International for clean water in Africa. The proceeds from her second book are donated to Restoration Ink, a Maine-based nonprofit organization that helps restore the dignity of female human trafficking victims by altering their slave tattoos. She was the founder and president of Wish You Were Here, Inc., a part-time independent travel company, from 1996 to 2013. She enjoyed helping many people travel abroad and introduced many clients to cruising for the first time.
Dr. McAuley earned a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from West Chester University in 1975 and a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University in 1996. Later, she also attained a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in 2005 and a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix in 2016. She was inducted into the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society that recognizes academic achievement. Her article, "Relationships Matter - Ideas for Transforming the Nonprofit Boardroom" was published in the Performance Improvement Journal in 2019. Academic conferences include the Greenleaf Center of Servant Leadership (2013, 2014, 2017), the International Leadership Association (2014), and the 3rd Global Servant Leadership Research Roundtable (2016) at Bifröst University, Iceland. She was invited to present at Regent University's Servant Leadership Roundtable (2017, 2018, 2019). Her dissertation findings were presented at the first Global Followership Conference at University of Waterloo, Canada (2019). Other local presentations include "Compassion International Causetrek to the Rooftop of Africa" and "Thaddeus S. Lowe – Who Was He and Did He Make a Difference in the American Civil War?"
Upon reflection, Dr. McAuley draws a sense of fulfillment from the memories she has of people she met while serving in the armed forces. She feels grateful to have had the opportunity to make a difference in their lives through mentoring, especially during her two deployments (Horn of Africa 2004 and Iraq 2009-2010), which came late in her military career. After returning from Iraq, she launched a drive to collect donated band instruments to send to the Ceremonial Military Band in Baghdad, who requested her help because they needed replacement equipment. After she was interviewed by two local newspapers about the project, she was interviewed by Terry Gross on National Public Radio. More instruments were donated from across the country. Her experience at the United States Army War College (Resident Class 2005) was equally rewarding. She served on committees, volunteered as the organist and choir director for the Protestant Chapel, and collaborated with the late Dr. Gordon Bowie to commission a march for the U.S. Army War College. She positively interacted with officers in her class who were from all branches of the U.S. military and foreign countries. In 2008, she produced a CD of military music, Remembering Carlisle Barracks: A Musical and Pictorial Journey, with partial proceeds going to the Army Heritage Education Center at the Army War College. The selections of military music commemorate 250 years of history of the second oldest army post in the United States.
Likewise, Dr. McAuley's faith has always been the driving force in her pursuits and accomplishments. As a sponsor for Compassion International, she has supported multiple young people who are soon to join the workforce in Tanzania, Africa, including the first young woman named Beatrice. She began writing to Beatrice in 2008, and finally met her when she visited Tanzania while participating in a Compassion International Causetrek hiking adventure to Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2017. She and 25 other participants, her husband included, raised $43,000 for two new wells during the event. She is proud to share that her husband was the eldest of the group to reach the great mountain's summit. Her first book, "Asante Sana: Life Lessons from Kili," chronicles her experiences during that trip. Asante Sana is Swahili for "Thank you very much."
With this sentiment, Dr. McAuley feels grateful for the people who made a difference in her own life, including the late Vaughn Hillgren, who retired from the United States Army and the Department of Defense. She considers him a superb role model and mentor who demonstrated outstanding leadership. He provided her with guidance when she was working as a civil servant and remained a lifetime friend. She has also been inspired by friends who have come to the United States from Iraq, Belarus, Bosnia, and Ukraine to become productive citizens in their respective careers. Other passions include her role of wife to CW5 (Ret.) John McAuley for nearly 4 decades, and American Godmother to two Bosnian teenage boys who moved to America in 2021. She is also known as a beagle mom for rescuing beagles who need a home. Dr. McAuley is especially thankful to have been born in America.
In the coming year, Dr. McAuley looks forward to publishing her final book, "After the Butterfly - I Heard You, God," which focuses on her life-altering experiences through Divine Providence since her first publications were released. She will send the royalties generated by that book to Cabezon Wounded Warrior Haven, Inc., a nonprofit veteran-centered Christian organization in New Mexico, established by a friend who served in the Army with her in Baghdad, Iraq. Although she does not plan to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro again, or write other books, she aspires to be a servant leader and a Christ follower while helping her favorite nonprofit organizations with royalties from her three publications. She is very honored to be included in this 125th anniversary edition of Marquis Who's Who®.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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